The Opening That Has to Stay Controlled in Both Directions
This article explains a specific and often misunderstood configuration of electrified mortise locksets: the fail safe function where both the inside and outside levers are locked until power is applied. It is written for security consultants, facility managers, and commercial hardware specifiers who encounter openings that require simultaneous bilateral control — not just access restriction from one side.
Most electrified mortise discussions stop at fail safe versus fail secure, or inside-free versus outside-locked. The double-lever-locked configuration is a narrower, more demanding choice. Getting it wrong creates either a life safety violation or a security gap. Getting it right requires understanding the opening, the occupancy, and the code context before the hardware ships.
What "Both Levers Locked" Actually Means
A standard electrified mortise lockset in a corridor function keeps the inside lever free at all times — the occupant can always exit. A both-levers-locked configuration disengages both the inside and outside levers from the latchbolt mechanism when the lock is in the de-energized or controlled state. Neither side can operate the door without an authorized signal (electrical power, credential read, or keyway release) activating the solenoid.
In a fail safe version of this configuration, loss of power causes both levers to become operable — the door is free to open from either side. In a fail secure version, loss of power keeps both levers locked. The distinction is critical and is addressed separately below.
Where This Configuration Actually Belongs
Not every opening warrants both-levers-locked hardware. The applications where it makes sense share a common characteristic: the opening separates two zones where unauthorized passage in either direction creates a problem.
- Psychiatric and behavioral health units: Staff control movement in and out. An unlocked inside lever creates an elopement risk; an unlocked outside lever creates an unauthorized entry risk. Both directions must be access-controlled at all times.
- Pharmacy and controlled substance storage corridors: Internal corridors where even authorized staff require a credential event to pass through — not because of who is coming in, but because the transaction needs to be logged.
- Secure vestibules and mantrap interlocks: When paired with an access control interlock system, both sides of a vestibule door may need to be held until the adjacent door confirms its status. A free inside lever breaks that logic.
- High-security government and data center environments: Tailgating mitigation sometimes demands that the interior side cannot be used to hold a door open or manipulate passage without a credential event registering on both sides.
- School secure entry vestibules: Increasingly, K-12 facilities are specifying controlled bilateral passage at the main entry vestibule to enforce single-occupant verification before either door can be freely operated.
Fail Safe in a Both-Levers-Locked Function: The Code Tension You Have to Resolve First
Here is where specifications most often go wrong. A fail safe configuration on a both-levers-locked mortise lock means that when power drops, the door becomes freely operable from both sides. In a fire alarm integration scenario, that is typically the intent: building evacuation requires free egress and, in some occupancies, free entry for emergency responders.
But the path to specifying this correctly runs through the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) and the relevant code:
- The IBC and NFPA 101 both require that occupants can egress without specialized knowledge or credentials during a fire event. A fail safe function satisfies this when integrated with the fire alarm system — the alarm triggers the access control panel to drop power to the lock, freeing both levers.
- The installation instructions for this class of lock explicitly state that fail secure mode shall not be installed unless permitted by the local AHJ and shall not interfere with the operation of listed panic hardware. If your opening also has an exit device, that coordination must happen before the hardware ships — not in the field.
- In occupancies that require panic hardware (assembly, educational over certain occupant loads), a both-levers-locked function on a mortise lock without exit hardware is unlikely to pass inspection. Understand your occupancy classification before selecting this function.
If the opening is on a fire-rated assembly, confirm that the electrified function is listed for use on fire doors. Not all electrified mortise configurations carry the same listing, and the door label does not transfer that compliance to you automatically.
Power Transfer: Getting the Signal to the Lock
An electrified mortise lock with both levers locked is only as reliable as the power path feeding it. These locks accept 12VDC or 24VDC and draw low continuous current, but the wiring path from the access control panel to the lock has to be planned before the door is hung.
For new construction or doors sourced from manufacturers with pre-wired harnesses, an ElectroLynx-compatible electric hinge or power transfer hinge is the cleanest solution — no conduit through the door, fire rating maintained, and connectors that allow hardware changes without rewiring the opening. The lock receives power through the hinge and a connecting harness inside the door edge.
For retrofit situations — existing doors that were not pre-wired — field teams have two options:
- Install a retrofit wiring harness compatible with an ElectroLynx-style hinge, then connect using the standard plug system.
- Remove the ElectroLynx connector from the lock and terminate directly using proper crimp splices or wire nuts per the National Electrical Code (ANSI/NFPA 70) and local requirements. Note that this lock is polarity sensitive — verify wiring orientation before energizing.
Wire gauge selection matters over longer runs. Consult the wire gauge chart for the specific lock to confirm conductor size for your one-way wire run distance at either 12VDC or 24VDC. Voltage drop outside the manufacturer's tolerance (typically plus or minus 10 percent) will cause intermittent or failed solenoid operation — a problem that shows up after the ceiling is closed.
Keying and Cylinder Considerations at a Both-Levers-Locked Opening
Because the lever does not mechanically operate the latch in the locked state, the cylinder becomes the primary mechanical override for authorized personnel during a power failure or system fault. This has real implications for the keying plan:
- The cylinder on a both-levers-locked mortise lock is typically a full-size mortise cylinder on both faces of the door. Both cylinders need to appear on the hardware schedule and be included in the master key system.
- If the opening is inside a restricted keyway system, confirm that the electrified mortise body is compatible with the cylinder format (6-pin, 7-pin, interchangeable core) before ordering. Cylinder cam selection must match the lock body's requirements — the wrong cam will not actuate the mechanism.
- In behavioral health or psychiatric applications, consider whether a key override is appropriate on the inside cylinder at all. Some facilities choose a thumbturn or coin-turn on the secure side rather than a keyed cylinder, to prevent patients from obtaining or using a key. This is a design decision, not a hardware defect — but it must be made at the specification stage.
Coordination Checklist Before This Hardware Ships
A both-levers-locked electrified mortise in fail safe configuration touches more trades and more code sections than almost any other lock type. Before the order is placed, confirm the following:
- AHJ approval for the fail safe or fail secure function as specified
- Fire alarm interface confirmed with the electrical contractor — lock must release on alarm signal
- Occupancy classification reviewed for panic hardware requirements
- Fire door listing verified if the opening is rated
- Power transfer method selected and compatible hardware (hinge or transfer device) on order
- Wire gauge and run length calculated for the supply voltage
- Cylinder format and keying compatible with the lock body and the facility master key system
- Inside cylinder type (keyed, thumbturn, coin-turn) confirmed with the owner and design team
- Access control panel compatibility verified — panel must support the lock's voltage and monitor switch rating
Specifying from the Right Product Class
Electrified mortise locksets with both-levers-locked functions are available from several preferred lines. Accentra (formerly Yale), Corbin Russwin, Sargent, and Hager all offer electrified mortise bodies with fail safe configurations suitable for high-security and healthcare openings. These lines have stable part architectures that support long-term service access — important in a behavioral health or government facility where the opening will be serviced in place for many years.
DoorwaysPlus carries electrified mortise hardware across these lines, along with compatible power transfer hinges, cylinders, and access control accessories. If your project requires a both-levers-locked configuration, the right place to start is a complete opening specification — lock body, trim, cylinder, power transfer device, and strike — not a single SKU search.