elevator regulation at a glance
- Regulator
- Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, Elevator Safety Section; rules by the Elevator Safety Board
- Statute
- Elevator Safety Law, A.C.A. § 20-24-101 et seq.; ASME A17.1, A17.3 and A17.2 adopted by rule
- Who inspects
- Inspectors licensed under § 20-24-108/109 (department, authorized local building departments, and licensed private and insurance-company inspectors); tests by a licensed mechanic in the inspector’s presence
- Frequency
- Every twelfth calendar month after the initial inspection for power passenger and freight elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters and manual elevators
- Permit and fees
- One-year operating permit posted in the car; $50 elevators and wheelchair lifts, $85 escalators and moving walks, $30 dumbwaiters; 20% penalty when 30 days past due
- Penalties
- Report not filed within 30 days of the due date: state inspector assigned at $350 per inspection; civil fines $500–$1,000 per offense, each day a separate offense
How elevator compliance works in Arkansas
Arkansas regulates conveyances through the Department of Labor and Licensing’s Elevator Safety Section, with rules written by the Elevator Safety Board under the Elevator Safety Law, A.C.A. § 20-24-101 and following. Power passenger and freight elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters and manually powered elevators must be inspected every twelfth calendar month after the initial inspection, by an inspector licensed under the Act. Tests are performed by a licensed mechanic in the presence of a licensed inspector.
Each unit carries a one-year operating permit posted in the car, with annual fees of $50 for elevators and wheelchair lifts, $85 for escalators and moving walks and $30 for dumbwaiters, and a 20 percent penalty once the fee is 30 days past due. If an inspection report isn’t filed within 30 days of the due date, the section assigns a state-employed inspector and the owner pays $350 for each such inspection. Civil fines run $500 to $1,000 per offense, and each day of a continuing violation is a separate offense. New installations and alterations are inspected by the department or an authorized local building department.
Arkansas also carries specific retrofit requirements for existing equipment, including fire service and flat-bottom hydraulic jacks, and the Board’s rules have been amended several times; we confirm the current version before advising on any deadline.
What we do for Arkansas owners
Elevator Compliance Group is an independent, QEI-licensed inspection and consulting firm. We do not sell maintenance, repairs or modernization, so our work in Arkansas is only for the owner: inspections and inspection witnessing, review of inspection reports and violations, deficiency tracking to verified correction, maintenance contract review, modernization planning and owner representation when the contractor and the inspector disagree.
- Annual inspections by licensed QEI inspectors, filed inside the 30-day window
- Operating permit and fee tracking so the 20 percent penalty and $350 state inspection never apply
- Violation tracking and verified correction with the maintenance contractor
- Retrofit planning for fire service and hydraulic jack requirements
- Maintenance contract review and modernization planning
Where we work in Arkansas
Little Rock and North Little Rock, with the state’s office towers, the Capitol complex, UAMS, Baptist Health and CHI St. Vincent hospital campuses and the Clinton Presidential Center, anchor our Arkansas work. We also serve Northwest Arkansas (Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville), Fort Smith, Jonesboro and Hot Springs.
Regulatory summary based on the agency sources below; requirements change, so confirm current rules with the agency or with us before relying on them.