Active vs Passive Doors: What’s the Difference on French Doors?

The terms active door and passive door are most often used when describing paired doors, commonly called French doors.

The active door is the door that operates the lock. When the handle is turned, this door engages a spring latch, deadbolt, or other locking points. It is typically the door used for everyday entry.

The passive door is used less frequently and usually does not operate a lock. It may have dummy handles, which are fixed and do not turn. If you need matching trim, you can browse dummy handle options.

On French doors, the passive door acts as the receiving door. The latch or locking points from the active door extend into the passive door to secure the pair together.

In short, the active door does the locking, and the passive door supports it.