Martin County, FL Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)

Sec. 235 and Sec. 236 of the Martin County Code of Ordinances sit in Chapter 21 (Building and Housing Regulations), Article 22, Elevators, Escalators and Dumbwaiters, part of the minimum housing and building standards the Building Official administers under Sec. 4 and Sec. 5. The general standard covers all three equipment types: elevators, dumbwaiters and escalators must be maintained to sustain safely all imposed loads, operate properly, and stay free from physical and fire hazards, and the most current certificate of inspection has to be on display inside the elevator, attached to the escalator or dumbwaiter, or kept available for public inspection in the building operator's office.

Sec. 236 adds a specific rule for passenger elevators: in a building equipped with passenger elevators, at least one elevator must be kept in operation at all times the building is occupied. The Code carves out one exception, for buildings that have only a single elevator; that elevator may be taken offline temporarily for testing or servicing. A property owner who disagrees with a Building Official finding on unsafe equipment can appeal under Sec. B by filing a written notice of appeal with the Building Official within 30 days, triggering a hearing before the Code Enforcement Special Magistrate.