Raleigh, NC Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)

All passenger and freight elevators in Raleigh commercial buildings, apartment complexes, hotels, and hospitals fall under NC Department of Labor jurisdiction rather than the city. The Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau enforces the NC Building Code elevator provisions, which adopt ASME A17.1 with state amendments. Buildings must display a current Certificate of Operation issued after each annual state inspection, and any elevator with a red tag or expired certificate must be removed from service until deficiencies are corrected. Raleigh-specific considerations include high-rise downtown buildings like PNC Plaza, Wells Fargo Capitol Center, and the Dillon that require more complex hoistway and machine room standards, and older mid-rise apartment buildings in Cameron Village and Glenwood South that have undergone elevator modernizations. Owners must contract with a licensed elevator maintenance company on a regular service schedule, typically monthly for public elevators. Entrapment incidents must be reported to NC DOL within 24 hours, and the elevator must not be returned to service until inspected. Five-year full-load safety tests and annual Category 1 tests are required. Hydraulic elevators additionally need pressure testing every five years. Raleigh inspections department verifies elevator operation during final certificate of occupancy reviews but does not conduct ongoing elevator inspections.