Can You Put a Smart Lock on a French Door? What Fits

Buying guide · 3 min read · Updated October 2026

Often yes, but only on the active door. A single French door is the easy case, a double pair needs the passive leaf bolted shut, and multi-point locks are the hard one.

Where the smart lock goes, and what the door is drilled for, decide what fits. The chart below shows the four cases.

Smart lock on French doors: single door works like a standard door, double doors take the lock on the active leaf only, keep the passive leaf flush bolts engaged, multi-point locks cannot be run by most standard smart locks — Four cases to sort out first. Source: The Connected Shop, April 2026, a smart lock seller.

Table of Contents

Single doors and double doors

A single French door works like a standard door, with a normal jamb and strike. It is the simplest case for a smart lock, says The Connected Shop.

On a pair, the lock sits on the active leaf, the one with the handle. The passive leaf is held by flush bolts at the top and bottom.

That makes the bolts part of your security. If they are loose or left disengaged, someone could push both doors open, per the same source.

The Connected Shop sells smart locks, so treat its product claims as the seller’s view. Its description of how a pair works is standard.

Hand on a smart lock at a dark door — A smart lock works the same way as a regular deadbolt on a solid stile. Photo: Joppe Beurskens on Pexels.

What decides whether it fits

Start with the door prep. Schlage’s guide says an exterior pair is usually prepped with two bore holes, a cross bore and a deadbolt bore, or three if it takes a handleset.

Its smart locks fit standard doors and install like a mechanical deadbolt. If you only have two bore holes, add a passage knob or lever below the smart lock.

Then measure. Narrow stiles may not fit a standard mounting plate, and the backset, the distance from the door edge to the bore center, has to match the lock.

Check before you buy a smart lock for French doors: count the bore holes, measure the stile width, measure the backset, which leaf opens first, multi-point lock or not, two bore holes means add a passage knob below — Six things to know before you order. Sources: Schlage, The Connected Shop.

Multi-point locks, which throw bolts at the top, middle and bottom, are the hard case. The Connected Shop says most standard smart locks cannot operate them and a specialized motor or handle set may be needed.

Schlage also recommends a double-cylinder deadbolt as the stronger option on glass doors. Check egress rules before choosing one, since it needs a key from inside.

My call · James Davis

On a pair, I would bolt the passive leaf first and put the smart lock on the active one. A smart lock is a convenience on top of a sound door, so fix the bolts and strike before you buy electronics.