Division of Hotels and Restaurants

Elevator Inspections

The Florida Elevator Safety Act requires that only licensed vertical conveyances that have a current satisfactory inspection can renew the Certificate of Operation. All elevators or other conveyances must be annually inspected by a certified elevator inspector or by a municipality or county under contract with the division pursuant to section 399.13, Florida Statutes. If the elevator is not an escalator or a dumbwaiter, serves only two adjacent floors, and is covered by a multi-year service maintenance contract, an inspection is not required as long as the service contract remains in effect through the next renewal period.

In addition, section 399.03(5), Florida Statutes, states:

All new conveyance installations must be performed by a registered elevator company. Before any vertical conveyance is used, except those in a private residence, it must be inspected by a certified elevator inspector not employed, associated, or having a conflict of interest with the elevator construction permitholder or elevator owner and certified as meeting the safety provisions of the Florida Building Code, including the performance of all required safety tests.

Registered elevator companies and certified elevator inspectors are required to submit elevator inspection reports to the Bureau of Elevator Safety within 5 days after the inspection. Approved conveyance inspection report violation codes must be used. Report submittal may be completed in two ways.

1. Manual Submittal: Complete the authorized scannable inspection report provided on our website and send the original copy to the Bureau of Elevator Safety at 1940 North Monroe Street , Tallahassee , FL , 32399-1013 .

2. Electronic Submittal: Inspection data may be saved in an electronic file and submitted to the bureau via the Internet in an approved format. Registered elevator companies and certified elevator inspectors may submit electronically through DBPR Online Services. Activate your account according to the online instructions (you must know your company or inspector license number). Once your account is activated, you can choose the link to “Submit Elevator Inspection Reports Electronically.”

Your license must be current and you must log in to access the submittal website. Also, you must have a registered elevator company or certified elevator inspector license. You cannot submit from the elevator license screen or the certificate of competency license screen.

Please note that electronically filing the inspection data DOES NOT relieve you of the statutory requirement to file a copy of the inspection with the bureau. You may send an electronic copy (scanned image) of the inspection sheets to the bureau email box dhr.elevators@dbpr.state.fl.us or you may mail copies to the bureau (please attach a note indicating they have been e-filed).

Electronic submittal requires a valid e-mail address and a data file in the approved format. Once you submit the file, a verification e-mail will be sent to the address you provide. The bureau’s main inspection database is updated daily. When the update is complete, you will receive reports indicating which records were accepted and rejected by the database. The report of rejected records indicates why the record was rejected and will require the submitter to make corrections and resubmit. If you have questions regarding this process, please send us a message or contact the Customer Contact Center @ 850.487.1395.