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Elevator Codes by State: ASME A17.1 Adoption Guide (2026)
A 50-state table for ASME A17.1 elevator-code editions, emergency communication review triggers, and the official checks required before design.
Direct answer and reference scope
Elevator Codes by State: ASME A17.1 Adoption Guide (2026) is a Harth adoption and amendment guide for United States. A 50-state table for ASME A17.1 elevator-code editions, emergency communication review triggers, and the official checks required before design. Use the ASME A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators to confirm the code edition currently adopted for the project, and compare the model text with state amendments, local amendments, effective dates and the permit authority's interpretation. The ICC code library is the model-code publication path. This Harth page summarizes adoption records and amendment sources; it does not reproduce the controlling code, provide a legal opinion or confirm which edition controls a particular address. Record the project jurisdiction, application date, occupancy, construction type and amendment set before relying on a section. Where this page conflicts with an official publication or the authority having jurisdiction, the official source controls.
Authored and prepared by Harth from the linked agency records. Review scope: adoption status and source paths verified; project-specific applicability and local interpretation require AHJ confirmation.
Direct answer
There is no single elevator-code edition in force across the United States. States and home-rule cities adopt different editions of ASME A17.1/CSA B44, often with amendments, while the adopted building code can add separate requirements for elevator-car and landing communications. For a new installation or modernization, identify the enforcing authority first, then confirm the A17.1 edition, building-code edition, effective date, local amendments and whether the rule applies to new, altered or existing equipment.
The table below is a specification-screening tool, verified on September 5, 2026. It is not a permit determination. The edition attached to an existing elevator can depend on its installation and alteration history.
State-by-state A17.1 screening table
“A17.1-2019+ review” means the reported adoption is 2019 or newer, so the design team should explicitly review the enhanced in-car two-way communication provisions. “IBC/local review” means an older or indirect A17.1 adoption does not settle the question: an adopted IBC edition or local amendment may still require audible and visible communication.
| State | Reported A17.1 baseline | Emergency-communication screen |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Alaska | 2016 | IBC/local review |
| Arizona | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Arkansas | 2007 | IBC/local review |
| California | 2004 / 1996 by installation date | State-specific review |
| Colorado | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review; check local code |
| Connecticut | 2013 | IBC/local review |
| Delaware | Adopted through building code | Confirm referenced edition with AHJ |
| District of Columbia | 2013 | IBC/local review |
| Florida | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Georgia | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Hawaii | 2016 | IBC/local review |
| Idaho | 2022 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Illinois | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review; home-rule cities may differ |
| Indiana | 2007 | IBC/local review |
| Iowa | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Kansas | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Kentucky | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Louisiana | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Maine | 2013 | IBC/local review |
| Maryland | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Massachusetts | 2013 | State amendment review |
| Michigan | 2016 | IBC/local review |
| Minnesota | 2016 | IBC/local review |
| Mississippi | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Missouri | 2016 | IBC/local review |
| Montana | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Nebraska | 2013 | IBC/local review |
| Nevada | 2016 | IBC/local review; local authority may differ |
| New Hampshire | 2022 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| New Jersey | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| New Mexico | 2013 | IBC/local review |
| New York | 2016 | State/local review; New York City differs |
| North Carolina | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| North Dakota | 2016 | IBC/local review |
| Ohio | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Oklahoma | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Oregon | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Pennsylvania | 2000 with 2002 addenda through Dec. 19, 2026 | 2016 rules take effect Dec. 20, 2026 |
| Rhode Island | 2016 | IBC/local review |
| South Carolina | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| South Dakota | 2013 | IBC/local review |
| Tennessee | 2016 | IBC/local review |
| Texas | 2016 / CSA B44-16 | IBC/local review; home-rule cities may differ |
| Utah | 2019 / CSA B44-19 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Vermont | 2013 | IBC/local review |
| Virginia | 2019 | A17.1-2019+ review |
| Washington | 2019 / CSA B44-19 | A17.1-2019+ review; Seattle amendments apply in Seattle |
| West Virginia | 2013 | IBC/local review |
| Wisconsin | 2016 / CSA B44-16 | IBC/local review |
| Wyoming | 2019 reported | Confirm with State Fire Marshal or delegated local AHJ |
Why the elevator phone answer is not just an A17.1 edition
Three layers can control the communication design:
- Inside the car: ASME A17.1/CSA B44 governs elevator emergency operation and communication. The 2019 edition introduced enhanced communication provisions intended to support passengers who cannot rely on voice alone.
- At elevator landings and areas of refuge: IBC Section 1009 can require two-way communication with audible and visible signals at accessible floors, subject to its exceptions.
- Local amendments: cities including Seattle, Chicago and New York City maintain elevator provisions that can differ from the statewide baseline.
The 2024 IBC Chapter 30 now states directly that each elevator car is to have an emergency two-way system with visual and audible modes complying with A17.1/CSA B44. That does not automatically make the 2024 IBC law in a jurisdiction; adoption and effective dates still control.
Five checks before specifying an elevator communication system
| Check | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Enforcing authority | State elevator office or delegated city/county | Home-rule and delegated jurisdictions can differ |
| Equipment scope | New, alteration, modernization or existing | Different rules can attach to each scope |
| A17.1 edition | Edition, amendments and effective date | Establishes the elevator standard baseline |
| Building code | Adopted IBC/local edition and Section 1009/3001 amendments | May add landing or in-car visual/audible requirements |
| Approval evidence | AHJ interpretation, permit notes and product submittal | Preserves the basis used by the design team |
Sources and maintenance method
The baseline table was assembled from the National Elevator Industry jurisdiction activity list, current jurisdiction directories and direct agency checks. Representative official records include Montana’s current-code list, the Oregon Elevator Specialty Code, Pennsylvania’s elevator program and the Wyoming State Fire Marshal. ASME identifies 2025 as the latest published A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators; publication alone does not mean a jurisdiction has adopted it.
Maintenance rule: re-check agency records quarterly and whenever a state publishes an adoption notice. Do not roll a proposed edition into this table until its final effective date is documented.