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Elevator Inspection and Certificate Compliance for Multi-Site Businesses

An elevator inspection is the periodic check, by a licensed inspector for the state or city, that keeps each unit's certificate of operation valid. Facility First schedules inspections and safety tests, coordinates the elevator contractor and the inspector, and tracks every deficiency to correction across the portfolio.

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What an Elevator Inspection Involves

An elevator inspection checks each elevator, escalator or platform lift against the code edition the authority having jurisdiction enforces for that unit, and leads to the certificate of operation. Colorado requires a certificate of operation for a conveyance to operate, and Kansas makes the owner responsible for ensuring every operating elevator has a valid one.

Inspection work at a commercial site takes three forms:

Periodic inspection. The recurring inspection on the jurisdiction’s cycle, ending in a report to the authority.
Witnessed safety tests. ASME A17.1 sets periodic tests known as Category 1 and Category 5 tests, at the intervals in its Appendix N, Table N-1-1. In Colorado, the elevator contractor performs the tests and a licensed inspector witnesses them on the schedule in the state’s test table.
Acceptance inspection. Required before a new unit, or one with a major or substantial alteration, goes into public use. In Colorado the contractor conducts the acceptance test and the inspector witnesses it.

Ongoing contractor work under the maintenance control program is covered on the elevator maintenance page. The two meet at the inspection: a certificate is not issued while deficiencies remain open, and a Kansas renewal application must certify that a Category 5 test has been performed, with its date and results.

Elevator Inspection Requirements by Jurisdiction

Elevator law is set state by state, and sometimes city by city (the City of Wichita, for example, runs its own inspections). The two state programs below are examples. The authority having jurisdiction for each location decides the cycle, the code edition and the forms.

Kansas (Office of the State Fire Marshal)

Inspection cycle by county population: every year in counties of 100,000 or more, every 2 years in counties of 50,000 to 99,999, and every 3 years in smaller counties.
Annual testing follows ASME A17.1 and is witnessed by a state licensed inspector. Category 5 tests are required every 5 years under ASME A17.1, Section 8.6, Appendix N, Table N-1-1.
An owner whose service or maintenance agreement has been submitted to and accepted by the State Fire Marshal can be exempt from the annual inspection requirement. Category 5 testing every 5 years still applies to all elevators.
Since the 2024 amendments, a licensed elevator mechanic may also inspect, but not a unit that mechanic has repaired or upgraded. Routine cleaning, lubrication and adjustment do not count.
The owner has 30 days from the date of the inspection report to correct violations and may request more time in writing with proposed completion dates. Life safety violations, including firefighters’ operation, emergency communications and emergency cab lighting, require a re-inspection.

Colorado (Division of Oil and Public Safety)

Every conveyance is registered with the state and inspected annually, in state jurisdiction by a licensed third party inspector.
The month of the last witnessed safety test sets each unit’s Compliance Month. The periodic inspection takes place in that month each year, and the non-witnessed annual safety test is done no more than 60 days before it. The certificate expires on the last day of the Compliance Month.
A temporary certificate may be issued for violations such as a failed emergency phone or fire service. The annual certificate follows a correction affidavit or re-inspection report.

Preventive Maintenance Schedule for Elevator Inspection Readiness

A planned schedule keeps tests current and life safety devices working before the inspector arrives, which avoids failed inspections, re-inspection fees and units taken out of service, and leaves a complete record for each unit.

Task	Recommended frequency	Basis
Periodic inspection by a licensed inspector	Annually in Coloradoin the unit’s Compliance Month; every 1, 2 or 3 years in Kansas by county population	Colorado Conveyance Program Requirements; Kansas State Fire Marshal
Category 1 test, traction and hydraulic elevators	Annuallywitnessed every 5 years	Colorado Conveyance Program Requirements, Table 2-3-2
Category 1 test, escalators and moving walks	Annuallywitnessed annually	Colorado Conveyance Program Requirements, Table 2-3-2
Category 5 test, elevators	Every 5 yearswitnessed (in Colorado, hydraulic elevators only where equipped with car safeties, a plunger gripper, a governor, an oil buffer or an overspeed valve)	Kansas State Fire Marshal (ASME A17.1, Appendix N, Table N-1-1); Colorado Table 2-3-2
Category 1 test, platform lifts	Every 5 years indoorsevery 3 years outdoors	Colorado Conveyance Program Requirements, Table 2-3-2
Pre-inspection check by the contractor of firefighters’ service, emergency phone, cab lighting and doors	30 days before each inspection	Facility First default
Confirm the certificate is current and displayed	Monthly	Display rule: Kansas State Fire Marshal. Frequency: Facility First default
Correct inspection deficiencies and file proof of correction	Within the jurisdiction’s deadline (30 days in Kansas unless extended)	Kansas State Fire Marshal; Colorado correction affidavit instructions
Review certificate expiry and test due dates for every unit	Quarterly	Facility First default

Facility First default is the starting interval in each program, adjusted for each site.

The authority having jurisdiction, the manufacturer and the property’s insurer can require more frequent service, and each location’s schedule is set in its program and recorded on every visit.

When an Inspection or Re-Inspection Is Needed

The certificate is close to expiry, or has expired. In Kansas, a contractor working on a unit with an expired certificate must note the violation on the paperwork and billing and notify the state in writing within 24 hours.
An accident has occurred. Colorado requires a report within 24 hours where medical attention is needed, and inspection before and after repair of a malfunction; Kansas requires a report by the close of the next business day.
The unit has been altered. Colorado requires a permit, and major or substantial alterations need a full acceptance inspection before public use.
A dormant unit is returning to service. Colorado limits dormant status to 5 years.
The last report listed life safety deficiencies, or a temporary certificate was issued.

Records to Keep for Each Unit

The current certificate of operation. Kansas requires it in the car or machine room, in a noncombustible frame with a clear protective vision plate.
The state registration number and the latest inspection report.
Category 1 and Category 5 test forms with dates and results.
Correction affidavits or re-inspection reports for each deficiency.
The maintenance agreement. Where Kansas accepts one in place of the annual inspection, it must cover ASME A17.1, Section 8.6 work, including Category 1 tests, for as long as the certificate is valid.
Alteration permits, acceptance inspection reports and accident reports.

How Facility First Runs Elevator Inspections Across a Portfolio

Facility First manages the work; licensed elevator contractors and inspectors perform it.

Unit register. Each unit is logged with its type, jurisdiction, registration number, certificate expiry, Compliance Month and test cycle in PostControl.
Scheduling. The contractor’s tests and the inspector’s visit are booked together, ahead of the expiry date, outside trading hours where the site needs it.
Inspection day. The location confirms access to the machine room, pit and car top, and the unit is taken out of service for the tests.
Deficiencies. Each finding becomes a work order with the jurisdiction’s deadline, quoted against the client’s approval limits where it falls outside the maintenance contract. See NTE meaning.
Close-out. Proof of correction, the new certificate and photos of its display are filed against the unit.
Invoice. Inspection, test and correction costs are invoiced in one format across all locations.

What Affects the Cost of Elevator Inspection

Number and type of units at each location
Whether the year includes a Category 5 test and inspector witnessing
Inspector fees, state certificate fees and re-inspection fees (Kansas notes re-inspections usually cost extra and suggests getting more than one bid)
Deficiency corrections, including life safety devices
After-hours scheduling to avoid trading hours
Travel to remote locations

Elevator Inspection for Retail Stores, Restaurants and Offices

Retail stores. Multi-level stores rely on passenger elevators, freight elevators and escalators. Tests take units out of service, so they are booked before opening. Colorado requires escalator Category 1 tests to be witnessed every year.

Restaurants. Platform lifts that give access to raised dining areas or mezzanines are inspected and tested too, on their own cycle.

Offices. In multi-tenant buildings, the lease decides whether the landlord or the tenant holds the certificate and the inspection obligation. The program records the certificate status for each location either way.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Often Does an Elevator Need to Be Inspected?

It depends on the jurisdiction. Colorado requires an annual periodic inspection, while Kansas requires one every year, every 2 years or every 3 years based on county population, and both states require Category 5 tests every 5 years for most elevators.

Who Can Perform an Elevator Inspection?

A licensed elevator inspector, and in some states a licensed elevator mechanic. Kansas allows a licensed mechanic to inspect, but not a unit that mechanic has repaired or upgraded.

What Happens If an Elevator Fails Inspection?

The certificate is not issued until the deficiencies are corrected. In Kansas the owner has 30 days to correct violations, and life safety violations need a re-inspection; Colorado may issue a temporary certificate until a correction affidavit or re-inspection report is received.

What Is the Difference Between a Category 1 and a Category 5 Test?

Both are periodic safety tests under ASME A17.1. Category 1 tests are generally annual for elevators and escalators, and Category 5 tests are performed every 5 years; in Colorado both are witnessed by an inspector on the schedule in the state’s test table.

Can an Elevator Run with an Expired Certificate of Operation?

Colorado requires a certificate of operation for a conveyance to operate, and Kansas makes the owner responsible for ensuring every operating elevator has a valid one. In Kansas, a contractor who works on a unit with an expired certificate must notify the State Fire Marshal in writing within 24 hours of the work.

Sources

Keep every elevator certificate current across every location.