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Federal garage door opener safety rules (16 CFR 1211)

Source: Arizona Garage Door Help (arizonagaragedoorhelp.com), part of the Local Help Stations network (localhelpstations.com). Last updated November 3, 2026.

Federal law (16 CFR Part 1211) sets the safety standard for residential garage door operators manufactured on or after January 1, 1993 for sale in the United States. It covers operators that serve a residential building of one to four single family units. (source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)

Every residential opener must have inherent primary entrapment protection: a door moving down must start to reverse within 2 seconds of contact with an obstruction. A vertically moving door opener must also meet one more option, such as an external photoelectric sensor that reverses a closing door. (source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)

Auto close (unattended operation) accessories are not permitted on one-piece garage doors or swinging garage doors. (source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)

The eCFR page we read on 2026-11-03 links an amendment to parts of this standard published at 91 FR 68459 on Oct. 30, 2026. Check the eCFR for the current text. (source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission)

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