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Modesto, CA Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing standard
ASME A17.1 (elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters)
Inspection interval source
ASME A17.1, Appendix N
Passenger elevator uptime rule
At least one running when building occupied
Single-elevator exception
May shut down for testing/servicing only
Certificate posting
Displayed in elevator or operator's office
Effective date
Ord. 3513-C.S., June 12, 2009

Summary

Modesto requires every elevator, escalator and dumbwaiter to be maintained under national ASME A17.1 standards, with a current inspection certificate posted for public view and at least one elevator kept running whenever a building with passenger elevators is occupied.

Elevators, dumbwaiters and escalators shall be maintained in compliance with ASME A17.1. The most current certification of inspection shall be on display at all times within the elevator or attached to the escalator or dumbwaiter, be available for public inspection in the office of the building operator, or be posted in a publicly in a conspicuous location approved by the Building Official... In buildings equipped with passenger elevators, at least one (1) elevator shall be maintained in operation all times when the building is occupied.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 71).

Full Breakdown

1, the national safety code for elevators and escalators. The most current certificate of inspection must be on display at all times inside the elevator, attached to the escalator or dumbwaiter, kept available for public inspection in the building operator's office, or posted conspicuously as approved by the Building Official. 1, Appendix N, unless the authority having jurisdiction specifies otherwise. 2502 goes further for passenger elevators: in any building equipped with them, at least one elevator must remain in operation at all times the building is occupied.

2502's exception. , effective June 12, 2009, which repealed and reenacted the Property Maintenance Code chapter these provisions sit in. 1's own periodic testing schedule and keep the resulting certificate visible, since a missing or expired posting is itself a maintenance-code deficiency separate from any mechanical defect in the equipment.

Violations & Fines

Failure to post a current ASME A17.1 inspection certificate, or taking a building's only working elevator out of service for reasons other than testing and servicing while the building remains occupied, is a Property Maintenance Code violation subject to the City's standard code enforcement and abatement process under Modesto Municipal Code Title 9.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a building with only one elevator ever take it offline?
Yes. Section 9-8.2502 specifically exempts buildings with a single elevator from the always-one-running rule when the elevator is temporarily out of service for testing and servicing, but not for other reasons while the building is occupied.
Where must the elevator inspection certificate be posted?
Section 9-8.2501 allows the current certificate to be displayed inside the elevator itself, attached to the escalator or dumbwaiter, kept available in the building operator's office, or posted in another conspicuous location the Building Official approves.
What inspection schedule applies to Modesto elevators?
Inspections and tests must occur at least as often as the periodic intervals listed in ASME A17.1, Appendix N, unless the authority having jurisdiction requires a different schedule under § 9-8.2501.

Sources & Official References

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