Montgomery County, MD Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- County Code § 8-5, Maintenance
- Covers
- Elevators as "service equipment" (§ 8-2)
- Owner duty
- Keep in good working order at all times
- Enforcer
- Dept. of Permitting Services
- Penalty
- Class A violation, up to $1,000
Summary
Montgomery County's building code requires elevators and other service equipment in every building to be kept in good working order at all times, and makes it unlawful for an owner to let a structure or its exitways go unsafe.
(a) All buildings and structures and all parts thereof, both existing and new, shall be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition. All service equipment, means of egress, devices and safeguards which are required by this chapter in a building or which were required by a previous statute in a building when erected, altered or repaired, shall be maintained in good working order. (b) It shall be unlawful for the owner of a building or his designated agent to fail to maintain the structure and its exitways in a safe and sanitary condition at all times.
Full Breakdown
Section 8-5 of the County Code applies to "service equipment," which Section 8-2 defines to include elevator equipment, and requires it be maintained in good working order in every building where it is installed. Subsection (b) separately makes it unlawful for a building owner or the owner's designated agent to fail to maintain the structure and its exitways in a safe and sanitary condition at all times. The Department of Permitting Services enforces Chapter 8; failing to maintain required elevator or other service equipment is a Class A violation under Section 8-22.
Violations & Fines
Failing to maintain elevators or other required service equipment is a Class A violation: up to $1,000 and 6 months in jail, or a $500 civil fine ($750 for a repeat offense).
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Montgomery County's elevator maintenance law require?
Who enforces the elevator maintenance rule in Montgomery County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
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