San Francisco, CA Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)

San Francisco elevator safety is governed by California Labor Code Division 5 and Cal/OSHA Elevator Safety Orders (Title 8, CCR, Subchapter 6). Every conveyance (elevator, escalator, chair lift, dumbwaiter) serving the public requires an annual inspection by the Cal/OSHA Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Elevator Unit to receive its annual Conveyance Permit. Inspections are required: when first installed before public use, after any alteration or modernization, annually, and when reactivated after extended out-of-service periods. A full maintenance service contract with a certified competent conveyance company is required, providing service no less than monthly. The contractor must be responsible for all repairs necessary for safe operation. Elevator permits must be conspicuously displayed in the conveyance. Residential elevators in buildings serving no more than two dwelling units that are not publicly accessible are exempt from annual inspection but must be inspected at installation and after alterations. San Francisco's many pre-war buildings with older elevator systems face particular compliance challenges.