524 CMR is the Massachusetts elevator code, a set of regulations administered by the Board of Elevator Regulations under the Division of Occupational Licensure that governs almost every lifting device in the Commonwealth from design through decommissioning. If you own, manage, build, or service a building with an elevator in Massachusetts, 524 CMR sets the rules you have to follow: what gets permitted, who can do the work, how often it must be inspected, and what has to be posted inside the cab.
The code is enforced exclusively by the Board and the Office of Public Safety and Inspections. Cities and towns cannot layer their own elevator codes on top.1Legal Information Institute. Massachusetts Code 524 CMR 1.07 – Duties and Powers of Elevator Inspectors and the Office of Public Safety and Inspections
What Equipment the Code Covers
The reach of 524 CMR is wider than most owners expect. M.G.L. c. 143, § 71E defines “elevator” to include passenger and freight elevators, escalators, moving walks, dumbwaiters, wheelchair lifts, material lifts, vertical reciprocating conveyors, orchestra lifts, car lifts, automatic people movers, and limited-use elevators.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title XX, Chapter 143, Section 71E The Board describes its own jurisdiction as covering everything “commonly included within the elevator industry.”3Mass.gov. Board of Elevator Regulations
Private homes are not exempt. The code includes a specific class (“R” for Single Family Owner Occupied) for residential units, and its scope statement covers “all elevators” as defined by statute.4Mass.gov. 524 CMR 1.00 – Scope and Administration Two narrow things fall outside: inclined stair lifts installed in residential homes, which the statute carves out of the definition of “elevator” entirely,2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title XX, Chapter 143, Section 71E and portable materials-handling devices that operate entirely within a single story.
The Technical Standard
Chapter 35 of 524 CMR adopts the ASME A17.1-2013 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators as the national baseline, then adds Massachusetts-specific amendments on top. Where the two conflict, the Massachusetts modifications control.5Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 524 CMR 35.00 – Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators A17.1-2013 and the Massachusetts Modifications of That Code That means a design that satisfies A17.1 can still fail Massachusetts review, and engineering drawings need to reflect both layers.
When You Need a Permit
No permitted work can start until the owner or a registered elevator contractor applies for and receives approval from the Office of Public Safety and Inspections.6Legal Information Institute. 524 CMR 1.08 – Permits Layout drawings have to be filed and approved by the inspector before anything physical happens.7Legal Information Institute. 524 CMR 2.28 – Layout Drawings
Those drawings must be signed by a registered professional engineer or registered architect and carry a stamp certifying that the building will structurally support the elevator’s contract load plus tare weight as shown. The complete installation has to comply with the version of 524 CMR in effect on the filing date.7Legal Information Institute. 524 CMR 2.28 – Layout Drawings
Applications are filed through the Division of Occupational Licensure’s Inspections and Permitting System (IPS) Customer Portal, with all supporting documents uploaded electronically.8Division Of Occupational Licensure. Inspections and Permitting System Customer Portal For existing units, have the state identification number ready. For new installations, the manufacturer specifications must match the engineering plans on capacity, speed, and travel distance.
Alterations and Replacements Are Permitted Work Too
524 CMR 10.00 governs when work on an existing elevator counts as an alteration or replacement that needs a permit. Not every repair qualifies, but swapping major components such as car fixtures, hall fixtures, and other critical parts does.9Mass.gov. Elevator Laws and Regulations (Effective June 1, 2018) This is where owners get caught: replacing a door operator or modernizing a control system is a regulated alteration and runs through the same permit-before-work process as a new installation.
524 CMR 11.00 covers the other end of the lifecycle, placing a unit out of service or permanently decommissioning it. Idle equipment and removals have their own Board procedures that owners must follow.9Mass.gov. Elevator Laws and Regulations (Effective June 1, 2018)
Inspections and the Certificate You Must Post
Once a new, relocated, altered, or decommissioned installation is complete, 524 CMR 1.11 requires an acceptance test and inspection before the unit returns to service.4Mass.gov. 524 CMR 1.00 – Scope and Administration After the inspection passes, the inspector issues a certificate of inspection to the owner.
That certificate has to be posted in a conspicuous spot in or near the cab, in a vandal-resistant frame. If the frame is built into the car operating panel so that opening the panel is required to install it, only a Massachusetts-licensed elevator mechanic can do the work. Lobby posting is allowed, but the certificate and the specific elevator it belongs to must be clearly identified.4Mass.gov. 524 CMR 1.00 – Scope and Administration
M.G.L. c. 143, § 64 requires every elevator to receive a thorough inspection and a practical test of its safety devices at intervals of no more than one year.10General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title XX, Chapter 143, Section 64 524 CMR 8.00 sets out the specific testing protocols for equipment already in service.11Legal Information Institute. 524 CMR 38, 10 – Inspections and Test Periods Operating without a valid certificate is one of the fastest ways to have the equipment taken out of service, so scheduling the next inspection well before the certificate expires matters.
Longer-interval load and safety tests follow the ASME A17.1 cycles adopted by Massachusetts and must be performed by licensed mechanics. Keep service logs documenting every repair, inspection, and test. The Office of Public Safety and Inspections keeps the official records of applications, permits, certificates, fees, and inspection reports, but your own maintenance history is what you will hand an inspector.
Who Can Do the Work
Under 524 CMR 9.01, a license is required for mechanics working on elevator equipment.12Legal Information Institute. 524 CMR 9.01 – License Required Registered elevator contractors and qualified mechanics actively constructing, maintaining, or repairing equipment do not need a separate operator’s license, but the mechanic’s license itself is non-negotiable. Property owners cannot hire unlicensed workers for elevator projects. Every permit application, every acceptance test, and every post-emergency return to service runs through a Massachusetts-licensed professional.
Fire Service and Emergency Controls
Elevators have to let firefighters take command during a building emergency. 524 CMR requires an Emergency Control Operation (ECO) system wherever standard fire service Phase I and Phase II recall features are not available and fully functional.13Legal Information Institute. 524 CMR 36, 24 – Operating and Operation Devices and Control
The Phase I ECO uses a three-position key switch (RESET, OFF, ON) at a level set by the local fire department. When activated, a red beacon lights inside the cab, an audible signal sounds, and the car operating panel displays “EMERGENCY OPERATION – RETURN TO LEVEL [X]” as the cab recalls to the designated floor. The Phase II ECO adds a two-position key switch in the car operating panel that overrides normal operation. Both use firefighter key number 3502.13Legal Information Institute. 524 CMR 36, 24 – Operating and Operation Devices and Control
After emergency use, the responding fire department must lock out and tag out the elevator. It stays out of service until a Massachusetts-licensed elevator mechanic inspects the unit and is satisfied with its condition.13Legal Information Institute. 524 CMR 36, 24 – Operating and Operation Devices and Control Building emergency procedures should account for that handoff, because the elevator will not go back into service on its own.
Federal Rules That Also Apply
524 CMR governs mechanical safety, but it is not the only code touching your elevator. Buildings open to the public also have to meet the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice, which set minimum cab dimensions, control placement, and tactile signage requirements for elevator cabs.14U.S. Access Board. Chapter 4: Elevators and Platform Lifts15U.S. Department of Justice. 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design
During servicing, OSHA’s Control of Hazardous Energy standard (29 CFR 1910.147) requires lockout/tagout procedures and training for authorized employees working around elevator energy sources.16Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) – Overview On construction sites, personnel hoists and elevators used during the job fall under 29 CFR 1926.552, which adds its own posting, enclosure, door, and safety-device requirements on top of the Massachusetts code.17Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Material Hoists, Personnel Hoists, and Elevators
Where to Read the Code
The complete set of current elevator laws and regulations, including downloadable PDFs of each chapter of 524 CMR, is published on Mass.gov.9Mass.gov. Elevator Laws and Regulations (Effective June 1, 2018) Individual sections are also mirrored on the Legal Information Institute’s Massachusetts regulations database.18Legal Information Institute. 524 CMR – Board of Elevator Regulations The enabling statute runs from M.G.L. c. 143, §§ 62 through 71G on the Massachusetts Legislature’s website.