Prince George's County, MD Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing provision
- Sec. 4-203, IBC § 3001.3 amended
- Design standard
- Maryland Elevator Code / ASME A17.1
- County role
- Plan review by DPIE
- Inspecting agency
- State Elevator and Escalator Safety Unit
- Last amended
- CB-047-2025
Summary
Prince George's County Code § 4-203 sends elevator regulation to the state rather than duplicating it locally: every elevator, escalator, and conveying system must meet the Maryland Elevator Code and ASME A17.1 as adopted by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, with actual safety inspections performed by a state unit, not the county.
Section 3001.3 is amended to read as follows: "Reference Standards." Except as otherwise provided for in this Code, the design, construction, installation, alteration, repair and maintenance of elevators and conveying systems and their components shall conform to the State of Maryland Elevator Code, ASME A17.1, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, as adopted by the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. The Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement will perform plan review to ensure compliance with building, electrical, mechanical, and fire/life safety codes pursuant to the Prince George's County Code. Inspections of elevators shall be conducted by State of Maryland Division of Labor and Industry — Elevator and Escalator Safety Unit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2026 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 4-203, part of Subtitle 4's Building Code administrative chapter, amends International Building Code Section 3001 (General) so that Prince George's County does not run its own elevator safety standard. 1, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, in whatever edition the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation has adopted. The county's Department of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) still performs plan review on elevator submittals filed with a building permit, checking the installation against the building's structural, electrical, mechanical, and fire/life-safety code requirements before work starts.
Once the elevator is running, ongoing safety inspections and the operating certificate that must be posted in the car come from a different agency entirely: the State of Maryland Division of Labor and Industry's Elevator and Escalator Safety Unit. That split means a property owner deals with two separate government bodies over the life of an elevator, DPIE at the permit and plan-review stage and the state elevator unit for in-service inspections and recertification. Section 4-203 has been revised four times since 2009, through County Bills CB-13-2009, CB-45-2012, CB-56-2020, and most recently CB-047-2025, each update folding in a newer edition of the state elevator code and the IBC as Maryland's statewide standard has evolved.
Violations & Fines
DPIE can hold or reject a building permit application whose elevator plans do not reference the current ASME A17.1 edition Maryland has adopted. Once an elevator is in service, running it without a current, posted Maryland operating certificate is a violation the state's Elevator and Escalator Safety Unit enforces directly, and that unit can order the elevator taken out of service until a licensed contractor makes repairs and the equipment passes a state re-inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Prince George's County inspect elevators itself?
What code governs elevator design and maintenance in the county?
Who do I contact if a building's elevator seems unsafe?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Prince George's County
Compare Prince George's County to another location·View the Maryland building safety overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.