Courthouse Security
Checkpoint Design

Minimum screening architecture for courthouses — public, credentialed attorney/officer, and court staff must be separated with distinct access policies and verification requirements

Typical variance in daily visitor volume between a slow court day and a high-profile trial or jury summons day — checkpoint design must handle both without reconfiguration

ADA-required minimum clear width for wheelchair-accessible screening lanes — standard WTMD apertures (24-32 in) do not meet this requirement without dedicated ADA lane design

Recommended minimum for active courthouses — one lane dedicated to public visitors, one lane reserved for evidence, exhibits, and credentialed attorney materials to prevent cross-contamination of the inspection record

How are attorneys screened differently from the public at courthouses?

Licensed attorneys typically pass through a credentialed bypass lane with verified bar identification and modified screening — their bags and briefcases are X-rayed but they may bypass the WTMD with a handheld wand screening instead. They do not wait in the public visitor queue. The bypass lane must be physically separated from the public lane and staffed by an officer who can verify bar card credentials against a current database. Local court rules govern the specific attorney bypass protocol, and checkpoint design must implement whatever the court’s policy requires.

How is evidence and trial exhibits inspected at courthouse checkpoints?

Evidence and trial exhibits should pass through a dedicated X-ray station separate from the public visitor lane. This station generates a timestamped image record of each inspected item that can be used for chain-of-custody documentation. Sealed evidence must be handled according to the court’s evidence integrity protocols — typically the attorney presenting the evidence must be present during inspection and countersign the custody log. 2M Technology configures evidence inspection stations with image export capability for court record integration.

How many X-ray lanes does a courthouse need?

A small county courthouse processing 50-150 visitors per day needs a minimum of 2 X-ray lanes — one primary public lane and one that can function as attorney bypass or evidence inspection. A mid-size courthouse processing 150-400 daily visitors needs 3 dedicated lanes. Large state and federal courthouses with 400-2,000 daily visitors typically require 4-6 public lanes plus dedicated attorney bypass and evidence inspection stations. All lane counts must be validated against peak jury summons and high-profile trial day volumes, not daily averages.

What ADA requirements apply to courthouse security checkpoints?

Under ADA Title II, government courthouses must provide accessible entry screening. Requirements include: minimum 60-inch clear lane width for wheelchair passage, tray tables at maximum 34-inch height, WTMD aperture wide enough to accommodate mobility devices without physical contact, and an alternative screening protocol (handheld wand) for individuals who cannot pass through the WTMD due to implanted medical devices or mobility equipment. The accessible lane must provide equivalent security screening — not a bypass of screening — and must not require the individual to request special accommodation in a manner that singles them out.