Bexar County elevator maintenance is regulated by TDLR under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 754. Owners must register elevators, obtain annual TDLR inspections, and use licensed contractors and mechanics.
Texas preempts most local elevator regulation through Chapter 754 of the Health and Safety Code, administered by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). This means Bexar County itself does not separately permit or inspect elevators. Every elevator, escalator, and related conveyance in Bexar County commercial buildings, multifamily properties, and public accommodations must be registered with TDLR and receive an annual safety inspection by a TDLR-licensed inspector. The owner must file the inspection certificate with TDLR and post the current certificate in the elevator machine room or on the conveyance. Inspections follow the ASME A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, which TDLR adopts by reference. New installations, major alterations, and testing of safety devices such as overspeed governors and buffers must be performed by licensed elevator contractors and mechanics. Single-family residential home elevators are subject to lighter requirements: they do not require annual inspection, but installers must be licensed and the installation must comply with ASME A17.1 or A17.7 at the time of installation. Multifamily condominium associations in Bexar County with elevators must budget for five-year load tests and periodic modernization.
Operating an elevator without a current TDLR certificate of compliance is subject to administrative penalties up to 5,000 dollars per day. Using unlicensed contractors or mechanics can result in shutdown orders and civil penalties. Expired annual inspections are a common citation for older San Antonio office buildings and multifamily properties.
See how Bexar County's elevator maintenance rules stack up against other locations.
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