New York State elevator licensing: contractors, inspectors and mechanics
What the New York State Elevator Safety Act requires of businesses and workers, the six license types, renewals, exemptions, and how it relates to New York City rules.
Until recently, elevator work in most of New York State was not licensed at the state level, although New York City had its own system. Legislation effective January 1, 2022, changed that: the State Department of Labor (DOL) now licenses the businesses and individuals who design, construct, install, inspect, maintain, alter and repair elevators and other conveyances. This guide summarises DOL’s own elevator licensing information for building owners and managers who hire them.
The six license types
- Elevator Contractor License. Required to engage in the business of elevator and conveyance work.
- Elevator Inspection Contractor License. For businesses that perform elevator and conveyance inspections.
- Elevator Mechanic License. For individuals who design, construct, install, maintain, alter, service or repair elevators.
- Temporary Elevator Mechanic License. Valid only while the apprentice is employed by the licensed elevator contractor.
- Accessibility Lift Technician License. For accessibility lift work.
- Elevator Accessibility Technician License. A restricted license for platform lifts only.
What it means for owners
DOL states that all individuals who perform work on an elevator or conveyance must be licensed as an Elevator Mechanic, except those licensed as Accessibility Lift Technicians, and that the businesses that employ them must hold the appropriate contractor license. In practice you should check two things before hiring: that the company holds an active Elevator Contractor (or Elevator Inspection Contractor) license, and that the technicians who will come to your building hold mechanic licenses. Ask for both.
Renewals and fees
DOL lists contractor licenses as renewable every two years, with individual mechanic and inspector licenses also renewable every two years. Temporary mechanic licenses run for 90 days. Because the licenses are on a two-year cycle, a business can show up as active today and expire within a few months, so check the expiry date, which our profiles show, and confirm before you sign.
Exemptions
DOL says the licensing requirements do not apply to the practice of architecture or engineering by a licensed professional, and that certain work is exempt: outfitting, removal, refinishing or replacement of interior finishes, removal or replacement of interior lighting, recladding of doors, transoms and front return panels, finishing or ornamental work on car operating panels, and dismantling and removal of elevators. Structural, mechanical or electrical work on the equipment itself is not covered by these exemptions.
New York City is different
The city has its own regime. DOL and DOB both describe licensing for people and businesses doing elevator work in the five boroughs, and the Department of Buildings runs periodic inspections, the annual CAT1 test and the five-year CAT5 test. See our NYC inspections guide and the DOB page on elevator licenses. Many of the businesses in our New York listings are based in the five boroughs; DOL's licensing overview says businesses doing this work in the city must hold the state license as well as the New York City one.
How to check a business
- Find the business on this site, or on the DOL’s Elevator Contractor License dataset on Open NY, which is where our listings come from.
- Match the legal name and address to your proposal and contract.
- Confirm status is active and the expiry date is in the future.
- Ask for the mechanic license numbers of the people who will work in your building.
- For work in New York City, also ask about DOB requirements for the job.
This directory shows license records only. It does not include inspection results, violations or insurance, so ask the contractor for a certificate of insurance and references as well. Our guide to choosing a maintenance contractor lists what to ask.