Elevators in Providence buildings must be permitted, inspected, and maintained under the Rhode Island State Building Code and elevator-safety statutes, with state inspectors and Providence Inspection Standards verifying compliance.
Rhode Island General Laws Title 23, Chapter 33 and the RI State Building Code (Title 23, Chapter 27.3) regulate elevator installation, inspection, and maintenance. Providence Department of Inspection and Standards coordinates with the RI Department of Business Regulation for periodic state inspections of passenger and freight elevators. Owners must contract with licensed elevator-maintenance companies, keep maintenance logs, and post current inspection certificates inside cars. Older Providence buildings with traction or hydraulic elevators may require modernization to meet current safety codes during major renovations.
Buildings with expired elevator certificates or missed inspections can be ordered out of service, face fines, and lose certificate of occupancy until repairs and re-inspection occur.
See how Providence's elevator maintenance rules stack up against other locations.
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