The opening between the garage and the house must be equipped with a door that provides protection per section r302 5 1 of the international residential code.
Garage fire door code.
The door cannot open directly onto a room used for sleeping purposes bedroom and must be one of the following types.
Building codes for exterior doors.
By the way cutting a hole in the door to install a pet door flap voids the 20 minute rating.
I would like to put a cat door in the door from the kitchen to the garage but i suspect this would not be up to code maybe not so much because of fire but because of the danger of carbon monoxide.
For instance there are fire rated doors that have a 20 minute several hours rating and they can be selected to meet fire department code requirements for residential spaces check your condo or townhouse local building codes for any requirements of fire rated entry or house to garage doors.
The wall between a house and an attached garage does have some special requirements however.
Exterior doors in homes and businesses not only provide security but they also serve as a vital means of egress during a fire or other emergency.
So for all these reasons the international residential code irc and residential edition of the florida building code fbc r302 5 have safety standards for a door that separates the garage from the house interior.
Door to house this is the only place where any fire rating is specified.
This section of the code outlines the garage home separation door requirements.
R309 1 opening penetration openings from a private garage directly into a room used for sleeping purposes shall not be permitted.
These are listed under section 302 5 of the current mn state building code.
The wall between the house and garage is not a firewall nor is it a fire resistance rated wall.
The 2006 edition of the international residential code irc states the following concerning doors that separate garages from living areas.