National building and fire laws have no provision saying that residential iron window bars must always leave an escape opening. The place that actually gives dimensions is Taipei: Article 9 of Taipei's rules for handling illegal buildings (臺北市違章建築處理規則) provides that security window bars (防盜窗) fitted at window openings or balconies are photo-registered (拍照列管) only if they have an open ratio of 70% or more, project no more than 10 cm beyond the outer wall or balcony railing, face a road or an access way within the site, and leave at least one effective opening of at least 120 cm clear height and at least 75 cm clear width (or an inscribed circle of at least 100 cm in diameter); new illegal structures that do not meet these conditions are, in principle, reported and demolished under Article 5 of the same rules. In addition, Article 108 of the building design and construction part (建築設計施工編) of the Building Technical Regulations (建築技術規則) provides that a window or opening in an exterior wall used in place of an "emergency access" (緊急進口) must have no bars or other obstructions; fitting such a window with sealed iron bars means it no longer meets that article's conditions.
Reminder: "escape opening" (逃生口) is not a legal term. What appears in the laws is the "emergency access" of the Building Technical Regulations (for firefighters and rescue personnel to enter from outside), the "effective opening" of Taipei's illegal-building rules, and the fall-prevention facilities that "do not obstruct escape" in the Condominium Administration Act. The Taipei rules cited in this article are the version amended on December 23, 2021. New Taipei handles illegal buildings under its principles for handling illegal buildings (新北市違章建築處理原則, published July 9, 2025) and its points for handling structures up to a certain size added to lawful buildings (新北市合法建築物增設一定規模以下構造物處理要點, amended November 26, 2025); neither the articles of the principles nor the schedule to the points that this article consulted contain a provision specific to security window bars (the New Taipei illegal-building classification table attached to the principles could not be obtained by this article), and for individual cases in New Taipei, go by the determination of the New Taipei City Government building works office (建築工程處) (reorganized from the illegal building demolition brigade, 違章建築拆除大隊, on October 23, 2026).
What the regulations actually say
| Rule | Key points | Who it applies to |
|---|
| Article 108 of the building design and construction part, Building Technical Regulations | Every floor from the 2nd to the 10th floor must have an emergency access; it can be omitted where the building faces a road or an access way at least 4 m wide and the exterior wall of each floor has a window or other opening every 10 m. That window or opening must be at least 75 cm wide and at least 1.2 m high, or a round hole at least 1 m in diameter, with its lower edge no more than 80 cm above the floor, and with no bars or other obstructions | Design and construction of buildings |
| Article 109 of the same part | Emergency accesses must be no more than 40 m apart and at least 75 cm wide and 1.2 m high, must be openable from outside or easy to break in through, must have a balcony at least 1 m wide and 4 m long outside, and must be marked with a red light | Buildings with emergency accesses |
| Article 9 of Taipei's rules for handling illegal buildings | Security window bars with an open ratio of 70% or more, projecting no more than 10 cm, facing a road or an access way within the site and with at least one effective opening are photo-registered; for buildings that held a building permit before these rules took effect on April 3, 2011, a clear depth of no more than 60 cm can be used instead | Security window bars (iron window bars) in Taipei |
| Article 8 of the Condominium Administration Act | Fitting iron or aluminum window bars on an exterior wall is, besides what laws and regulations provide, restricted by filed bylaws or resolutions of the owners meeting (區分所有權人會議); households with a child aged 12 or under or a person aged 65 or over may fit fall-prevention facilities at openings in the exterior wall or on balconies, provided they do not obstruct escape and do not project beyond the exterior wall | Households in condominium buildings |
| Fire Services Act | No provision specifically about iron window bars or escape openings | — |
Taipei: when iron window bars count as "photo-registered"
Under Article 4 of Taipei's rules for handling illegal buildings, "photo-registered" means that the illegal building's violation is minor or it is an existing illegal building, so it is photographed and filed and the reporting and penalty process is temporarily waived; it is still an illegal building, just not on the list for priority demolition. "Reported and demolished" (查報拆除) means it is reported and the demolition is carried out. Iron window bars are judged roughly as follows:
| Situation | Treatment |
|---|
| Windows and balconies left as the law requires (the article does not limit this to a particular permit year): barred security windows with an open ratio of 70% or more, projecting no more than 10 cm beyond the outer wall or balcony railing, facing a road or an access way within the site, and with at least one effective opening | Photo-registered (Article 9, paragraph 1) |
| Buildings that held a building permit before these rules took effect on April 3, 2011 can also use: an open ratio of 70% or more, a clear depth of no more than 60 cm, facing a road or an access way within the site, and at least one effective opening | Photo-registered (Article 9, paragraph 2) |
| Effective opening size | An opening or round hole at least 120 cm in clear height and at least 75 cm in clear width, or at least 100 cm in inscribed diameter (Article 9, paragraph 3) |
| Newly created on or after January 1, 1995 and not meeting the conditions above (for example completely sealed with no opening, or projecting too far) | New illegal building, in principle reported and demolished (Article 5, paragraph 1) |
| Already photo-registered, but determined by the city government's competent authority for the relevant business to obstruct public safety or public passage | Reported and demolished (Article 5, paragraph 2) |
| Existing illegal buildings in place from January 1, 1964 to December 31, 1994 | Photo-registered and placed in a classified, phased handling plan; where public safety is endangered and the like, the urban development department (都發局) reports and demolishes them first (Article 25) |
The competent authority is the Taipei City Government urban development department (都市發展局). Adding windows to balconies, extending them outward and so on have separate rules; see the balcony renovation red lines.
New Taipei: no specific article on security window bars; the building works office decides
The New Taipei principles for handling illegal buildings use June 24, 2009 as the dividing line: buildings built before then are existing illegal buildings, placed in track 3 and photo-registered; those from June 25, 2009 onward are new illegal buildings, and those created in the current year and within the past 5 years go to track 1 (demolished first), with the rest in track 2. Structures that meet the points for handling structures up to a certain size added to lawful buildings need not be reported, but the schedule to those points lists rain awnings, pergolas without walls, rain shelters on roofs to stop leaks, protective structures for outdoor equipment and the like, and does not include security window bars.
In other words, New Taipei has no iron window bar standard like Taipei's that states "leave an opening this big and it is photo-registered". For a New Taipei household that wants to fit or alter iron window bars, this article suggests first checking with the New Taipei City Government building works office (formerly the illegal building demolition brigade) or the district office (區公所); for advice you can call the New Taipei City Government at (02)2960-3456 or 1999 (for New Taipei only).
What the fire departments recommend
- The disaster prevention science education center (防災科學教育館) of the Taipei City Fire Department (臺北市政府消防局): "Leave one opening in iron window bars, and life has a way out" (鐵窗留一口，生命有活口); it recommends not fitting iron window bars, and where they are truly necessary, you must leave an opening as an emergency escape exit and make sure there are two or more directions to evacuate in when escaping.
- Fire safety advice from the Sanxia district office (三峽區公所) in New Taipei: under and on both sides of the iron window bars of upstairs homes, partitions of non-combustible material should be added to stop fire from spreading up from below.
- The Taipei City Fire Department's FAQ: the last person to leave when escaping should close the front door to stop the fire spreading, but not lock it, to help the rescue.
- A Taipei City Fire Department press release: when a fire starts outside your room and thick smoke means you can no longer escape, close the room door and stuff the gap with clothing or a quilt; if the room has an opening to the outside, open it, and call 119 and say where you are trapped. If the opening to the outside is blocked by sealed iron window bars, that route to survival is lost.
The following is this article's suggestion: in a home that already has iron window bars, make at least one escape opening in the bars quickly openable from the inside, using Taipei's effective opening standard (120 cm clear height, 75 cm clear width) as a guide for the opening size; if the escape opening has to be locked, keep the key in a fixed place that every family member knows and can reach, and test-open it regularly to make sure it is not rusted stuck or blocked by clutter. Add residential fire alarms and a household fire extinguisher so that you detect a fire early and get out early.
With children or elderly relatives: rules on fall-prevention facilities
Article 8, paragraph 2 of the Condominium Administration Act allows households with a child aged 12 or under or a person aged 65 or over to fit fall-prevention facilities at openings in the exterior wall or on balconies, but they must "not obstruct escape and not project beyond the exterior wall"; when the reason for fitting them no longer exists, and they do not comply with the bylaws or a resolution of the owners meeting, the unit owner must improve them or restore the original condition. A household that violates Article 8, paragraph 1 and still does not comply after the management committee (管理委員會) orders it to stop can be fined NT$40,000 to NT$200,000 under Article 49 and ordered to correct the problem within a time limit, with continuing penalties if it is not corrected by the deadline; under Article 8, paragraph 3, that household must also restore the original condition within 1 month, and if it does not by the deadline, the person in charge of management or the management committee may do so on its behalf, with the cost borne by that household.
For whether indoor fabrics such as curtains need to be flame-retardant, see which buildings must use flame-retardant curtains.
FAQ
Does the law require iron window bars to leave an escape opening?
No, not as a general rule: there is no such general provision in national regulations. Article 9 of Taipei's rules for handling illegal buildings lists "at least one effective opening" as one of the conditions for photo-registering security window bars; Article 108 of the Building Technical Regulations requires that a window used in place of an emergency access have no bars. No specific article on security window bars was found in New Taipei's illegal-building rules.
How big does the escape opening in iron window bars need to be?
Taipei's rules set the effective opening at least 120 cm in clear height and at least 75 cm in clear width, or an opening or round hole at least 100 cm in inscribed diameter. For a window used in place of an emergency access, Article 108 of the Building Technical Regulations sets at least 75 cm wide and at least 1.2 m high, or a round hole at least 1 m in diameter, with the lower edge no more than 80 cm above the floor.
Will the old iron window bars on my home be removed?
It differs between Taipei and New Taipei. In Taipei, existing illegal buildings that were in place from 1964 to the end of 1994 are photo-registered and handled in classified phases; new illegal buildings from 1995 on that do not meet the conditions of Article 9 are, in principle, reported and demolished. New Taipei uses June 24, 2009 as the dividing line: existing illegal buildings from before then are photo-registered, and new illegal buildings created within the past 5 years are demolished first.
Can I fit invisible window grilles or fall-prevention netting if I have children?
Article 8 of the Condominium Administration Act allows households with a child aged 12 or under or a person aged 65 or over to fit fall-prevention facilities, but they must not obstruct escape or project beyond the exterior wall; once the reason no longer exists, if they do not comply with the bylaws, they must be improved or restored to the original condition.
Can I be fined for fitting iron window bars that break my building's bylaws?
It can happen. Under Articles 8 and 49 of the Condominium Administration Act, if a household fits iron or aluminum window bars in breach of the filed bylaws or a resolution of the owners meeting and still does not comply after the management committee orders it to stop, the competent authority can fine it NT$40,000 to NT$200,000 and order correction within a time limit, with continuing penalties if it is not corrected by the deadline; the household must also restore the original condition within 1 month.
Last updated: 2026-11-03
This article was compiled by SOSfix editors from public information and is for general reference only. For individual cases, contact the Taipei City Government urban development department, the New Taipei City Government building works office or your local fire department.
Sources
- National laws and regulations database (全國法規資料庫): building design and construction part of the Building Technical Regulations (建築技術規則建築設計施工編; amended February 23, 2026, verified 2026-11-02) (in Chinese): Article 108 on emergency accesses and replacement windows with "no bars", Article 109 on the construction of emergency accesses.
- Taipei City law and regulation lookup system: Taipei rules for handling illegal buildings (臺北市違章建築處理規則; amended December 23, 2021, verified 2026-11-02) (in Chinese): Article 2 on the competent authority, Article 4 on definitions of new illegal buildings, existing illegal buildings and photo-registration, Article 5 on handling new illegal buildings, Article 9 on security window bars and effective openings, Article 25 on existing illegal buildings.
- National laws and regulations database: Condominium Administration Act (公寓大廈管理條例; amended May 11, 2022, verified 2026-11-02) (in Chinese): Article 8 on iron and aluminum window bars on exterior walls and fall-prevention facilities, Article 49 on fines of NT$40,000 to NT$200,000.
- National laws and regulations database: Fire Services Act (消防法; amended November 29, 2024, verified 2026-11-02) (in Chinese): no specific article on iron window bars or escape openings in the full text.
- New Taipei City Government illegal building demolition brigade: New Taipei principles for handling illegal buildings (新北市違章建築處理原則; published July 9, 2025, downloaded 2026-11-02) (in Chinese): the June 24, 2009 dividing line between new and existing illegal buildings, the three-track demolition order, structures meeting the points on added structures need not be reported.
- New Taipei City law and regulation lookup system: points for handling structures up to a certain size added to lawful buildings (新北市合法建築物增設一定規模以下構造物處理要點; amended November 26, 2025, with schedule, verified 2026-11-02) (in Chinese): the schedule items do not list security window bars; New Taipei City Government phone number in the footer.
- Taipei City Fire Department disaster prevention science education center: content on reporting emergencies and fire prevention (報案與防火宣導內容; verified 2026-11-02) (in Chinese): "Leave one opening in iron window bars, and life has a way out", two or more evacuation directions.
- Taipei City Fire Department: escape situations and methods when a fire occurs (火災發生時之逃生狀況及方法; data updated September 29, 2026, verified 2026-11-02) (in Chinese): the last person out closes the door without locking it.
- Taipei City Fire Department press release: never hide in the bathroom in a fire (火災千萬別躲浴室; posted February 16, 2017, data updated April 15, 2022, verified 2026-11-02) (in Chinese): closing the door, stuffing the gap, opening an opening to the outside, calling 119.
- Sanxia district office, New Taipei: disaster prevention advice, fire safety knowledge (防災宣導－消防常識; published 2020-12-28, verified 2026-11-02) (in Chinese): adding partitions of non-combustible material under and on both sides of iron window bars.
