Santa Clara County, CA Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)

Cal/OSHA has exclusive jurisdiction over elevator safety in California under Labor Code 7300 and Title 8 CCR 3000 through 3147. Owners must obtain an initial permit to operate before use, pay an annual fee, and submit to an annual inspection by a Cal/OSHA Elevator Inspector. Permits must be posted visibly in the car or at the entrance. Maintenance must be performed by a Certified Qualified Conveyance Company and records of all work kept for at least 5 years. Cal/OSHA can issue orders to remove from service any elevator with uncorrected hazards, and operating a shut-down elevator is a misdemeanor.

HOA and condo associations owning common area elevators in San Jose high-rises and mid-rise buildings must include elevator maintenance in the reserve study under Civil Code 5550 and fund major modernizations, which typically cost 150000 to 350000 dollars per car. 1 and the California code of conveyances, with current focus on seismic brackets, fire service phase I and II recall, and door monitoring. Santa Clara County Fire Marshal inspects firefighter recall features during annual fire inspections. Entrapment incidents must be reported to Cal/OSHA within 8 hours.