Outside New York City, the state sets the elevator code but doesn’t inspect elevators. Each city does that its own way, and the big ones have their own elevator laws. Here is how Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, Syracuse and Albany compare with NYC.
Last checked Oct 6, 2026 against the NYS Department of State, the NY Senate’s law and bill records, and each city’s code and pages. General information, not legal advice.
New York City runs its own code: a Cat 1 test every year by Dec 31, filed in DOB NOW within 21 days. Everywhere else, the 2025 NYS Uniform Code applies, in force since Dec 31, 2025. Its Property Maintenance Code §606.1 says elevators are inspected and tested at the ASME A17.1 intervals, “except where otherwise specified by the authority having jurisdiction”. The five largest cities after NYC all add rules of their own, and four of them add a city license on top of the state one.
Every city, town and village in the state must enforce the Uniform Code (Executive Law §381). A city can opt out by local law, and its county then takes over, or the Department of State if the county opts out too. New York City is the exception: it keeps its own code.
The state’s minimum standards for local enforcement, 19 NYCRR Part 1203, require building permits, operating permits and fire safety inspections, but no elevator inspection program, elevator permit or elevator register. Their only mention of elevators treats elevator inspections as special inspections, by inspectors the city has approved. A city may adopt stricter rules.
The state Department of Labor licenses elevator businesses and workers under Labor Law Article 33; see the NYS elevator contractor license. It doesn’t inspect elevators or keep a register of them. A 2025 law would have added state-witnessed tests outside NYC (a new Labor Law §958), but a 2026 chapter amendment repealed it before it took effect.
A knowing violation of the Uniform Code costs up to $1,000 a day, with up to a year in jail (Executive Law §382). The cities below add penalties of their own.
| City | Its own elevator law | Routine inspection | Who inspects | City license on top of the state’s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | 1 RCNY §103-02 | Cat 1 every year, by Dec 31 | Approved agency, witnessed by an independent agency | Yes, DOB licenses |
| Buffalo | Code Chapter 167 | Every 6 months | City-licensed inspection company | Yes, installer and inspector |
| Rochester | Code Chapter 50 | Every 6 months, plus a yearly test | NYS-licensed inspector | No, abolished in 2022 |
| Yonkers | City Code §§56-66 to 56-73 | Every 6 months (freight every 12) | City inspectors | Yes, for installation and maintenance firms |
| Syracuse | City elevator safety code | — | — | Yes, elevator mechanic |
| Albany | Code Chapter 175 | Every 6 months | City-licensed inspection company | Yes, inspector and installer |
| City | Proof an elevator may run | Filing | Fixing defects | Penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | Reports filed in DOB NOW | Within 21 days | 90 days, affirm within 14 | $3,000 for a missed Cat 1 report; $5,000 for Cat 3 or Cat 5 |
| Buffalo | Certificate of Operation, yearly | Report to the owner and the city | 30 days | Up to $1,500 and 15 days in jail |
| Rochester | Certificate of inspection, yearly | Each report within 7 days | 30 days, or a 30-day conditional certificate | $100 late charge; tickets of $100 to $500 |
| Yonkers | Certificate of compliance and a $350 yearly permit to operate | None; the city inspects | “Without delay” after notice | $750 late fee; $125 per violation at re-inspection |
| Syracuse | — | Each correction within 2 weeks | By the date on the notice | $100 a day per violation, $500 if serious |
| Albany | Yearly registration and a Certificate of Operation | Inspector’s sign-off, once the elevator passes | Before the sign-off | Up to $1,500 and 15 days in jail |
A Cat 1 test every year by Dec 31, filed in DOB NOW within 21 days.
ReadInspections every six months by licensed firms, a yearly Certificate of Operation and a witnessed 5-year test.
ReadInspections every six months, reports within 7 days and a yearly certificate. No city license since 2022.
ReadA $350 yearly permit to operate each elevator, and a city license for elevator firms.
ReadCity elevator licenses, permits online, and $100 a day for an uncorrected violation.
ReadYearly registration, licensed inspection firms and a city installer license.
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