Elevators in Boston are inspected and licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety under 524 CMR, with annual certificates required and ISD enforcing posting of the current certificate in every cab.
Massachusetts centralizes elevator regulation through 524 CMR (administered by the Department of Public Safety, Office of Public Safety and Inspections). Every elevator, escalator, dumbwaiter, and lift in Boston must be tested and inspected annually by a licensed inspector and operated under a current certificate of inspection posted inside the cab. Owners hire a licensed elevator service company to maintain equipment under MGL Ch. 143 §65. Boston ISD enforces the posting requirement and forwards complaints about expired certificates or stuck cabs to DPS. Following the 2021 deadly Allston elevator incident, DPS strengthened maintenance documentation requirements and audit frequency citywide.
Operating with an expired certificate violates MGL Ch. 143 §65 with fines up to $1,000 per day; DPS may red-tag the elevator until corrections are made and re-inspection passes.
Boston, MA
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See how Boston's elevator maintenance rules stack up against other locations.
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