Elevator Code Compliance Guide

Elevator safety codes are a layered system of national standards, federal accessibility laws, and state-adopted regulations. Understanding which codes apply to your building helps you budget for compliance upgrades, avoid violations during inspections, and ensure passenger safety. This guide covers the major codes building owners need to know.

ASME A17.1 -- Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators

ASME A17.1 is the primary safety standard for new elevator installations in the United States. Published by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, it covers design, construction, installation, operation, inspection, testing, and maintenance of elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters, and moving walks.

Key facts for building owners: ASME A17.1 is updated on a three-year cycle. The current edition may not be the one your state has adopted. States adopt specific editions through their legislative process, and adoption timelines vary widely. Your elevator must comply with the edition in effect at the time of its installation, unless your jurisdiction requires retroactive upgrades under A17.3.

When you install a new elevator, modernize an existing one, or make significant alterations, the work must comply with the current edition adopted by your state. Your elevator contractor and inspector should both be able to tell you which edition applies.

ASME A17.3 -- Safety Code for Existing Elevators

A17.3 addresses elevators already in service that were installed under older code editions. It identifies specific safety requirements that should be retroactively applied to existing installations to bring them closer to modern safety standards.

A17.3 does not require existing elevators to fully comply with the latest A17.1 edition -- that would be prohibitively expensive and often physically impossible in older buildings. Instead, it establishes a targeted set of upgrades focused on the highest-risk safety items. Common A17.3 requirements include door restrictors (preventing passengers from forcing open car doors between floors), fire service recall capability, emergency communication devices, and car leveling accuracy.

Your jurisdiction determines which A17.3 requirements are mandatory and sets compliance deadlines. Some states enforce A17.3 aggressively with firm deadlines and fines. Others treat it as advisory. Your elevator inspector can tell you which A17.3 items apply to your building and whether any have upcoming compliance deadlines.

ADA Accessibility Requirements

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) imposes federal accessibility requirements on elevators in public and commercial buildings. These are not optional and are not subject to state adoption timelines -- they apply nationwide.

Cab size: Elevator cabs in new construction must be large enough to accommodate a wheelchair. The minimum interior dimensions are 51 inches deep and 68 inches wide (for center-opening doors) or 51 inches deep and 80 inches wide (for side-opening doors), with at least a 36-inch clear door opening.

Control buttons: All car operating buttons must be mounted between 35 and 48 inches above the floor. Buttons must be at least 0.75 inches in diameter, raised with tactile markings, and include adjacent Braille labels. Hall call buttons in the corridor must also meet these requirements.

Audible and visible signals: An audible signal must sound as the car arrives at each floor -- one chime for up, two for down. A visual indicator must also show the direction of travel. Inside the cab, a visual display must show the current floor position.

Door timing: Elevator doors must remain open long enough for a person using a wheelchair or walking aid to enter. ADA specifies minimum door hold-open times based on the distance from the hall call button to the elevator door.

Fire Service Recall -- Phase I and Phase II

Fire service recall is required in all elevators installed in buildings with fire alarm systems. It is mandated by both ASME A17.1 and local fire codes, and it is one of the items most commonly retrofitted under A17.3.

Phase I (automatic recall): When a fire alarm activates, all elevators in the building automatically return to a designated recall floor (usually the ground floor, unless the fire is at that level). The elevator doors open and the car remains at that floor with the doors open. Passengers cannot override this -- the elevator becomes unavailable for normal use.

Phase II (firefighter operation): Once the elevators have recalled, firefighters can take control of individual elevators using a special key switch in the car. In Phase II, the elevator operates only under manual firefighter control -- doors do not open or close automatically, and all car calls must be made manually. This allows firefighters to use the elevator to reach upper floors while maintaining control of door operation.

Both phases are tested during every annual inspection. Phase I is tested by activating smoke detectors in the elevator lobby and machine room. Phase II is tested with the firefighter key. Failures in fire service recall are high-priority violations because they directly affect emergency response capability.

Seismic Requirements

Buildings in seismic zones 3 and 4 (areas of moderate to high earthquake risk, primarily in the western United States) must have elevators equipped with seismic safety devices. ASME A17.1 Section 8.4 addresses seismic requirements.

Seismic provisions include counterweight derailment protection (brackets or restraints that prevent the counterweight from leaving its rails during shaking), seismic switches that take the elevator out of service when ground acceleration exceeds a threshold, rope displacement protection (guards that prevent hoist ropes from jumping off sheaves), and structural bracing of guide rails to withstand lateral forces.

After a significant earthquake, elevators equipped with seismic switches will shut down automatically. They must be inspected by a qualified person before being returned to service. Some modern systems include automatic reset capability for minor events, but major events always require manual inspection and reset.

State Adoption Timelines

One of the most confusing aspects of elevator code compliance is that states adopt new code editions on their own schedules. As of early 2026, some states operate under the 2019 edition of A17.1, while others still enforce the 2016 or even 2013 edition. A few states have not updated in over a decade.

This means the code requirements for your building depend on two factors: when the elevator was installed (which determines the original code edition it was built to) and which current edition your state has adopted (which determines what retroactive upgrades may be required).

Your elevator inspector and maintenance contractor should be able to tell you exactly which code edition applies in your jurisdiction. If they cannot, that is a red flag about their competency. Always verify with your local AHJ if there is any uncertainty.