North Carolina elevator regulation at a glance
- Regulator
- North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL), Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau
- Statute
- Elevator Safety Act, N.C.G.S. Chapter 95, Article 14A; rules at 13 NCAC Chapter 15
- Who inspects
- NCDOL state inspectors inspect elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters, moving walks and lifts in public establishments and private workplaces (federal buildings excepted)
- New work
- Installers submit prints and an application before installation; NCDOL issues the permit and inspects new installations and alterations
- Code
- ASME A17.1 as adopted by North Carolina
- Fees
- Set by N.C.G.S. § 95-110.5A fee schedule
How elevator compliance works in North Carolina
North Carolina regulates elevators under the Elevator Safety Act, Article 14A of Chapter 95 of the General Statutes, administered by the Department of Labor’s Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau. The Bureau’s own inspectors inspect elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters, moving walks and lifting devices in public establishments and private workplaces; federal buildings are the main exception. Installers must submit prints and an application before new work begins, and the Bureau inspects new installations and alterations against ASME A17.1 as adopted in 13 NCAC Chapter 15.
Because inspections are performed by state staff, owners can’t simply hire a private inspector to satisfy the periodic requirement the way Texas owners do. What owners can do is prepare, represent their interests during the inspection and make sure violations are corrected properly afterwards. State inspection backlogs have been reported in the past, so an inspection date is not a substitute for an owner’s own compliance program.
What we do for North Carolina owners
Elevator Compliance Group is an independent, QEI-licensed inspection and consulting firm. We do not sell maintenance, repairs or modernization, so our work in North Carolina is only for the owner: inspections and inspection witnessing, review of inspection reports and violations, deficiency tracking to verified correction, maintenance contract review, modernization planning and owner representation when the contractor and the inspector disagree.
- Pre-inspection readiness reviews so the state inspection goes smoothly
- Owner representation during NCDOL inspections and acceptance of new or altered equipment
- Review of inspection findings and management of violation correction to verified closure
- Maintenance contract review, so code items are the contractor’s responsibility where they should be
- Modernization planning, including code-triggered upgrades on alterations
Where we work in North Carolina
Our Fort Mill office is fifteen minutes from the state line, so Charlotte and the Piedmont are our core North Carolina market, with service to the Triangle, the Triad, Asheville and the coast for portfolio clients.
Regulatory summary based on the agency sources below; requirements change, so confirm current rules with the agency or with us before relying on them.