Saint Paul, MN Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 38.04, Elevators, Hoists, Lifts and Moving Stairways
- Requirement
- Current certificate of inspection posted at equipment
- Issuing agency
- Division of Housing and Building Code Enforcement
- Fee exemption
- City of Saint Paul exempt; other govt agencies pay
- Enforcement tool
- Division may tag/seal unsafe equipment out of service
Summary
Saint Paul makes it unlawful to operate any elevator, escalator or similar lifting equipment without a current certificate of inspection posted at the machine. Section 38.04 puts the Division of Housing and Building Code Enforcement in charge of the annual inspection and certificate program, and lets the division tag and shut down any unit that fails inspection or whose owner hasn't paid the required fee.
(a)Certificate required. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to operate any elevator, moving stairway or other equipment covered by this chapter without having a current and subsisting certificate of inspection posted within or near such equipment. The certificate of inspection may be withheld for nonpayment of the required fee or for equipment that does not conform or is unsafe as provided below. ... (d)Inspection. Upon application, the division shall cause the elevator, moving stairway or other equipment covered by this chapter to be inspected, and, if found satisfactory, the certificate of inspection shall be issued. If the inspection ... indicates the equipment does not conform to the requirements of the building code or ... the condition of the equipment is such as to create an unsafe condition ... the division shall order correction or removal of such unsafe conditions and the certificate shall not be issued until such correction or removal has been completed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 133 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 38 covers "Elevators, Hoists, Lifts and Moving Stairways" and applies to every passenger and freight elevator, hoist, lift, dumbwaiter, moving stairway or similar fixed conveying device in the city (Sec. 01). 04(H)(4); routine lubrication, cleaning and adjustment don't need a new permit. 03 further requires elevator operators themselves to hold a city license. " Owners apply on division forms, the equipment is inspected, and if the division finds the equipment doesn't meet the building code or has "deteriorated so as to endanger life, limb and property," it orders correction or removal and withholds the certificate until the work is done.
The division may grant a temporary permit for limited use while corrections are pending if it decides the conditions won't endanger occupants. Government-owned buildings still owe the inspection fee, county, state and federal agencies are not exempt, though the City of Saint Paul itself is. 04(f) lets the division physically tag or seal the equipment out of service, and using or breaking the seal on tagged equipment is itself unlawful.
Violations & Fines
Operating an elevator or moving stairway without a posted, current certificate of inspection is unlawful under Section 38.04(a). Equipment found unsafe or non-conforming has its certificate withheld until corrected; if the owner misses the correction deadline, the division tags or seals the equipment out of service, and using sealed equipment, or breaking the division's seal without authorization, is itself a separate violation of the chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Saint Paul require an annual inspection for building elevators?
What happens if an elevator fails its city inspection?
Are government buildings exempt from Saint Paul's elevator certificate fee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Saint Paul
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