Texas · Updated September 6, 2026
Expired elevator certificate in Texas: what it means and what to do
A Texas elevator certificate of compliance is good for one year from the date of the inspection, so there is no statewide renewal day: every building is on its own clock. On the TDLR registry today, 18% of elevators show a certificate that has already expired, and 14,432 more expire within 90 days. Here is what an expired certificate means if it is your building, how to check any address in seconds, and how to get it current again.
The short answer
- •Chapter 754 of the Texas Health and Safety Code requires the owner to have every elevator, escalator and related piece of equipment inspected annually, file the report and fees with TDLR within 30 days of the inspection, and display the certificate of compliance in a publicly visible area of the building.
- •TDLR states that operating equipment without a valid certificate may result in penalties or an enforcement action, and that failing to file on time can bring penalties of up to $5,000 per day for each violation. A report filed more than 60 days after the inspection also carries a late fee of $10 per unit for every 30-day period it is late.
- •The certificate is issued after TDLR reviews the filing, not on the day of the inspection. An inspection that has not been filed, or was filed recently, still shows the old expiration on the registry.
Check any Texas building now
Enter a street address, building name or city. The result reads the TDLR elevator registry and shows whether each unit's certificate is current, expiring or expired, and the date of the last inspection on file. Free, no signup.
Searches Texas only. Source: TDLR Elevator and Escalator Safety Program.
How Texas certificates of compliance work
| Issued by | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Elevator and Escalator Safety Program |
|---|---|
| Valid for | One year from the inspection date, so each building has its own expiration |
| Inspection | Annually, by a registered elevator inspector hired by the owner |
| Filing deadline | The inspection report, any violation letters and the fees must reach TDLR within 30 days of the inspection |
| Violations | Must be corrected, or under contract to be corrected, within 30 days of the inspection, or the owner applies for a waiver or delay |
| Fees | $20 per unit to file the report; $50 per violation for a waiver or delay application; $25 for a duplicate certificate |
| Late fee | $10 per unit for every 30-day period the report is filed after the 60th day following the inspection |
| Posting | The certificate must be displayed in a publicly visible area of the building |
| Operating expired | TDLR: operating equipment without a valid certificate may result in penalties or an enforcement action |
Two dates matter and they are different. The 30-day deadline is the law's filing requirement; the 60-day mark is where TDLR's late fee starts counting. A report filed on day 45 is late under the statute but owes no late fee; one filed on day 100 owes the $20 filing fee plus $20 in late fees per unit, and every 30 days adds another $10. TDLR publishes a late fee calculator for the exact amount.
What the registry shows today
Measured September 6, 2026 across the 74,805 Texas units on the TDLR registry:
| Certificate status | Elevators | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Current | 61,015 | 82% |
| Expired within the past year | 6,460 | 9% |
| Expired more than a year ago | 7,330 | 10% |
Because every certificate runs from its own inspection, the expirations arrive as a steady stream rather than one wave. Of the current certificates, here is how many come due in the months ahead:
| Expiring in | Elevators |
|---|---|
| Rest of September | 3,787 |
| October 2026 | 5,890 |
| November 2026 | 3,668 |
| December 2026 | 4,140 |
The two expired groups are different problems. The 6,460 that lapsed in the past year are mostly inspections that ran late, reports still in TDLR's queue, or violations not yet cleared; most come back within a few months. The 7,330 that lapsed more than a year ago are the ones that stopped filing altogether, and the typical one passed its date more than 4 years ago: equipment out of service, buildings that changed hands, or owners who let it go. If your building is in the second group, the late fee is the least of it.
By city, the most expired certificates are in Dallas (2,457), Austin (1,693), San Antonio (1,376), Fort Worth (723), Houston (529) and Plano (374).
Why a certificate shows as expired
- The inspection happened but the report was never filed. The certificate comes from TDLR's review of the filed report, the violation letters and the fees, not from the inspection itself. If the inspector's report is sitting with the owner or the management company, the registry keeps the old date.
- Violations are still open. TDLR issues the certificate only when every cited violation is corrected or under contract to be corrected, or a waiver or delay is granted. A repeat violation must be corrected immediately and verified in writing by the inspector before the certificate is issued.
- The filing is still being processed. A report filed in the last few weeks may not have posted. Check the record again before doing anything else.
- The record is out of date. Equipment that was removed from service or replaced, or a building that changed owners, can stay on the registry under the old details. The certificate is still expired on paper, and the current owner is the one responsible.
If it is your building: how to get it current
- Confirm the status. Search the address above, or look the building up in TDLR's elevator search by ELBI number or address.
- Hire a registered elevator inspector and have every unit inspected. Your elevator maintenance contractor usually coordinates this and attends.
- Correct any violations, or get them under contract, within 30 days of the inspection. For each unit, TDLR needs a signed letter on company letterhead listing the violations and the correction dates, or an application for a waiver or delay.
- File the inspection report, the letters and the fees with TDLR within 30 days of the inspection: $20 per unit, $50 per violation waived or delayed, plus any late fee. TDLR accepts filings through its Elevator Inspection Online Reporting System or by mail to P.O. Box 12157, Austin, TX 78711.
- Post the certificate when it arrives. It is valid for one year from the inspection date, so put next year's inspection on the calendar now: TDLR's own advice is to schedule in advance to avoid a lapse.
- If the registry still shows the old date after the filing is processed, contact the Elevator/Escalator Safety Program at elevator@tdlr.texas.gov with the ELBI and decal numbers.
If you service elevators in Texas
Every expired certificate is a building that needs an inspection scheduled, a violation corrected, or a report filed before it can be current again, and Texas is the one registry that also lists the building's registered compliance contact. That makes the expired list a call list with a name on every row: your own customers first, then every other building in your cities whose certificate lapsed.
Smarterlift keeps that list current from the nightly registry refresh, ranks it by how long the certificate has been expired, shows what is coming due in the next 90 days so you can book the inspection before it lapses, and writes an AI sales brief for each building. Modernization is a separate list, ranked by equipment age. See how maintenance contract leads and modernization leads work.
7-day free trial · pre-loaded with Texas
Questions people ask
- How long is a Texas elevator certificate of compliance valid?
- One year from the date of the inspection. TDLR issues it after the owner files the annual inspection report and fees, so every building is on its own cycle rather than a single statewide date.
- Is it illegal to operate an elevator with an expired certificate in Texas?
- Chapter 754 of the Texas Health and Safety Code requires the owner to have the equipment inspected annually, file the report within 30 days, and display a current certificate of compliance. TDLR states that operating equipment without a valid certificate may result in penalties or an enforcement action, and that failing to file the required documentation on time can bring penalties of up to $5,000 per day for each violation.
- What is the late fee for a late elevator inspection report in Texas?
- $10 per piece of equipment for every 30-day period the report is filed after the 60th day following the inspection, on top of the $20 filing fee per unit. TDLR publishes a late fee calculator on its elevator program page.
- How do I check whether a building’s elevator certificate is expired?
- Search the building’s address in the free lookup on this page. It reads the TDLR elevator registry and shows each unit’s last inspection date and certificate expiration. You can also search TDLR’s own elevator database by address or ELBI number.
- What do I need to get the certificate current again?
- An inspection by a registered elevator inspector, correction of any violations cited (or a contract to correct them, or a waiver or delay granted by TDLR), then the inspection report, the supporting letters and the fees filed with TDLR within 30 days of the inspection. TDLR reviews the filing, issues the certificate, and it must be posted in a publicly visible area of the building.
- Why does the registry show my certificate as expired when the inspection was done?
- The certificate is issued after TDLR reviews the filed report; the inspection alone does not renew it. If the report, the violation letters or the fees have not been filed, or were filed recently, the record still shows the old expiration. Check again once the filing is processed, and contact TDLR’s Elevator/Escalator Safety Program at elevator@tdlr.texas.gov if it still shows expired.
Sources
- Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 754, Elevators, Escalators and Related Equipment: section 754.019, duties of owners (annual inspection, 30-day filing, display of the certificate)
- TDLR form ELE201N, Instructions for Obtaining an Elevator/Escalator Certificate of Compliance (rev. April 2026): one-year validity, fees, late fee, penalties, posting
- TDLR, Elevator Safety Frequently Asked Questions: filing requirements, fee schedule, violation correction
- Smarterlift Texas elevator inspection lookup: the registry figures above, measured September 6, 2026
This guide is general information, not legal advice; confirm requirements with TDLR or counsel before acting. Registry data is sourced from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and provided for informational purposes only. Smarterlift is not affiliated with or endorsed by any state agency. To request a correction or removal, contact support@smarterlift.app.