Albany, NY Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Inspection frequency
- Semiannual (every 6 months)
- Enforcing agency
- Division of Buildings and Codes
- Certificate renewal
- Annual (3 yrs for home lifts)
- Maximum penalty
- $1,500 fine or 15 days jail
Summary
Albany requires every elevator, escalator, dumbwaiter, and lift in the city to be inspected semiannually by a licensed inspector, who certifies compliance before the owner can obtain a certificate of operation.
All conveyances existing in any building or structure must be inspected semiannually by a person, firm or company to which a license to inspect conveyances has been issued. Subsequent to inspection, said licensed person, firm or company must certify to the owner and/or the Administrator compliance with applicable sections of this chapter and, prior to use, a certificate of operation must be obtained by the property owner or manager from the Administrator in accordance with the fees set forth therein. The certificate of operation fee for existing wheelchair lifts and inclined stairway chair lifts for private residences and any renewal certificate fees shall be waived. The Administrator or his designee shall inspect, in accordance with the fees set forth therein, all newly installed and existing wheelchair lifts and inclined stairway chair lifts for private residences subsequent to an inspection by a person, firm or company to which a license to install or service conveyances has been issued.
C. Display of certificate of operation. Certificates of operation referenced in Subsections A and B above are renewable annually except for certificates issued for wheelchair lifts and inclined stairway chair lifts for private residences, which shall be valid for a period of three years. Certificates of operation must be clearly displayed on each elevator or in the elevator maintenance room for use for the benefit of City code enforcement staff.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4873446; v61 updated 2026-03-18; through 03-18-2026).
Full Breakdown
Under City Code § 175-12, every conveyance operating in an Albany building, elevator, dumbwaiter, escalator, moving sidewalk, or wheelchair lift, must be inspected twice a year by a company holding an inspector's license issued by the Administrator (Director of the Division of Buildings and Codes in the Department of Fire, Emergency and Building Services). The inspector certifies compliance to the owner and the Administrator, and the property owner or manager must then obtain a certificate of operation, renewable annually, which must be displayed on the elevator or in its maintenance room. New installations require a construction permit and a licensed installer under § 175-11. Violations carry fines up to $1,500 or 15 days in jail under § 175-16.
Violations & Fines
Operating a conveyance without a current certificate of operation, skipping the required semiannual inspection, or working on an elevator without an Administrator-issued license is punishable by a fine of up to $1,500, imprisonment up to 15 days, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often must Albany elevators be inspected?
Where must the elevator's certificate of operation be posted?
Does state law override Albany's elevator chapter?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albany
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