Licensing

What every Elevator owner needs to know

Under Chapter 399, Florida Statutes, known as the Florida Elevator Safety Act, the owner/operator is responsible for ensuring the elevator meets all safety requirements on an annual basis. It is the owner’s direct responsibility to schedule an annual safety inspection, called a routine inspection, to ensure the safe operation of their elevators before obtaining a Certificate of Operation.

Elevator maintenance companies complete the required annual safety tests and may schedule the inspection upon request of the elevator owner/operator. Each elevator owner/operator is responsible for ensuring that their elevator is in compliance with the Elevator Safety Code. Your elevator inspector or service company can explain the inspection process and required tests.

The required annual safety inspection must be completed by a Florida Certified Elevator Inspector. Inspection Reports can be submitted electronically or by mail. You can search for a Florida Certified Elevator Inspector on the department’s Licensing Portal. A list of Florida Certified Elevator Inspectors is available online on the department’s public records page. Elevator Inspection Reports (DBPR Form HR 5023-003) may also be found online on the division’s forms and publications page.

Chapter 399, Florida Statutes, specifically Sections 399.061 and 399.07, explain the requirements for annual inspections, correction of violations, and payment of fees in order to be licensed. You may view the statute online from our administrative rules and statutes page.

Two factors can prohibit license renewal: a failed annual (routine) inspection and/or non-payment of fees. A routine inspection for safety must be completed within the previous 12 months and contain no violations. Any violations cited on an inspection must be corrected within 90 days of the inspection and a callback inspection must be performed to verify all violations are corrected.

Remember, to become a licensed elevator operator in the State of Florida you must:

1. Pay the annual fee.
2. Have a current satisfactory inspection performed by a certified elevator inspector.

Delinquent elevator licenses and renewals

All licenses expire on August 1 each year and must be renewed annually. The division mails renewal notices to the mailing address on record. The licensee is responsible for notifying the division of an address change. The renewal notice, the appropriate fee, and any required documentation must be returned to the bureau by August 1. Owners or operators who do not renew by the expiration date and continue using the vertical conveyance are operating without a license and subject to administrative actions by the division. Any license renewal postmarked or paid on or after August 1 will be assessed a $50 late fee.

The Division of Hotels and Restaurants’ Bureau of Elevator Safety provides renewal information for all outstanding expired elevator licenses. This information includes any license fees owed and the status of each device’s inspection requirement. This information is updated every week:

List of Elevators with Delinquent Licenses and Outstanding Requirements

To check the status of your elevator license, go to the link provided above to open the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) file. Use the Search feature of the reader (binoculars button) to search for each elevator’s license number. You can also search by building name or address, although this may not be as accurate due to variations on the way data is entered. If the license number is not listed, the license has either already been issued or is in the process of being issued. If you have recently made a payment, please allow us time for processing.

If the listing indicates that the elevator is exempt from the inspection requirement, payment of the fee should be adequate to process the license. If you have a satisfactory inspection, please note when the last inspection was completed. If the inspection is older than one year when the division receives payment, a new inspection will be required.

If the Elevator is Sealed/Inactive, there are certain benefits and responsibilities. You may review these on our Sealed/Inactive publication.

Please note that this listing has been provided as a courtesy to the division’s licensees. Changes in the service maintenance contract information or inspection status may affect the accuracy of this information.

More information on applying for or renewing a Certificate of Operation is available on our website.

Need Help?

All requests for public records, complaints, forms, and applications for licenses can be obtained by contacting the Customer Contact Center at 850.487.1395.

Steven von Bodungen, Director

Division of Hotels and Restaurants
Bureau of Elevator Safety
2601 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1013