Abstract: The locking device (10) for doors, in particular of vehicles, has an inside door opener and an outside door handle (12) which can be used to actuate at least one lock for locking the door. Locking devices of this type are conventionally very complicated mechanically, since the mechanical connection between the outside door handle (12) and the lock is meant to be uncoupled as a function of various functional positions. In order to reduce the mechanical complexity, it is proposed that only the inside door opener should act mechanically on the lock, and the outside door handle (12) should act via an electric control on an actuating drive (18), which actuates the lock. In this case, the opening command is instigated only if at least one defined allowable precondition is present. The required additional functions of locking devices can very easily be controlled by the electric control, so that additional mechanical elements are not required.