What is code fluency?

Code fluency is knowing which rules apply to this lift, in this building, on this application date, where each rule lives, and what must be shown to pass.

A product that meets its standard is not yet a code-compliant project. Compliance turns on how the equipment fits the building, the jurisdiction and the code edition in force when the permit is applied for. Most of what goes wrong on a lift project can be found before construction starts. This page sets out the questions that settle it, and a checker that applies them to one project.

A code-fluent plan answers five questions:

What is the device, legally? The standard the manufacturer states, a section of ASME A17.1 or ASME A18.1, decides which rules follow.
What building is it in? A private home and a building open to the public get different inspection, registration, acceptance and accessibility rules.
Who has jurisdiction, and which edition applies? The permit application date sets the edition; the state, and in New Jersey the town, sets the reviewer.
What must the building provide? Pit, overhead, structure, power and any fire alarm link, from the manufacturer's planning documents and the code.
Who may install it, and what proves it was accepted? The license, the acceptance inspection or sealed report, and the certificate that lets the lift run.

The sixth skill is knowing when the text is unclear. The authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) decides what applies to a project, so a code-fluent plan asks early and in writing.

Why does it matter before construction?

Most lift code problems can be caught on paper; caught later, they mean redesign, rework, or a lift that cannot be accepted.

Three examples from the rules this site tracks:

Pennsylvania's plans examiners will not accept drawings submitted or received after October 31, 2026 that state compliance with a code the state has not currently adopted (DLI's drawing requirements).
New Jersey does not recognize a device that meets only ASME A17.7 as an elevator device (A17.7 in New Jersey).
Equipment its maker limits to private residences cannot serve a public building (mistakes that cause rework).

Some rules exist because people were hurt. On August 6, 2019, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) asked every governor to review state requirements so that residential elevators are installed correctly and without a hazardous gap. Its letter notes that ASME A17.1-2016 limits the space between the car door and the hoistway door to less than four inches.

CPSC has warned that children have been crushed to death in deeper gaps. The gap depends on how the entrance is built, so a compliant product does not make a compliant installation.

How do you check a project?

Pick the place, the equipment, the building use and the permit application date; the checker lists the rules that apply and the source of each.

The checker covers new installations of the equipment these guides cover: home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical and inclined platform lifts, and stairlifts. It does not cover LULAs, commercial elevators or work on an existing lift; for those, start with NJ and PA code requirements. Your answers stay in your browser and in the page address, so a checked project can be shared as a link.

Every rule the checker uses

Answer the questions above to see only the rules for one project. Rules checked as of October 7, 2026.

Standard and edition

Home elevators are built to ASME A17.1 Section 5.3, the private residence elevator section, as their manufacturers state.
Savaria Eclipse Residential Elevator Planning Guide, Part No. 000623; Cibes Antera brochure, 508.08/26. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: home elevators.
A through-floor lift follows the standard its manufacturer states; Savaria's Telecab planning guide names ASME A17.1 Section 5.3. Confirm the standard for the exact model.
Savaria Telecab Home Lift Planning Guide, Part No. 000698. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: through-floor lifts.
A vertical platform lift in a shared or public building falls under ASME A18.1 Section 2, the public-use section, as Savaria states.
Savaria V1504 Vertical Platform Lift Planning Guide, Part No. 000690. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: vertical platform lifts; shared or public buildings.
A vertical platform lift in a private residence falls under ASME A18.1 Section 5, as Savaria and Bruno state.
Savaria V1504 Planning Guide, Part No. 000690; Bruno VPL-3100 specifications, ILS-00834. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: vertical platform lifts; private homes and lifts inside one unit.
An inclined platform lift in a shared or public building falls under ASME A18.1 Section 3, as Savaria states.
Savaria Delta Straight Inclined Platform Lift Planning Guide, Part No. 000817. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: inclined platform lifts; shared or public buildings.
An inclined platform lift in a private residence falls under ASME A18.1 Section 6, as Savaria states.
Savaria Delta Straight Inclined Platform Lift Planning Guide, Part No. 000817. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: inclined platform lifts; private homes and lifts inside one unit.
Stairway chairlifts are covered by ASME A18.1.
ASME A18.1, Safety Standard for Platform Lifts and Stairway Chairlifts (title); 34 Pa. Code § 405.2(a.1)(5). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: stairlifts.
Interpretation
In our reading, a manufacturer's compliance list that ends at an earlier edition does not mean the product fails. Confirm with the manufacturer that the model meets the edition the AHJ enforces.
N.J.A.C. 5:23-12.2(a) and (b); 34 Pa. Code § 405.2 (the editions the AHJ enforces); the reading is ours. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts.
New Jersey's 2024 codes took effect August 17, 2026: the elevator subcode uses ASME A17.1-2022 and ASME A18.1-2023, the editions IBC/2024 Chapter 35 lists, and the electrical subcode is NEC 2023.
R.2026 d.086; N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.14(b)25 and 5:23-3.16(a)1; IBC/2024 Chapter 35. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; permits applied for on or after August 17, 2026.
Interpretation
In our reading, a complete permit application, including all prior approvals, made within six months of August 17, 2026, to about February 17, 2027, may be reviewed under the previous code, which DCA said included ASME A17.1-2019. Confirm with the elevator subcode official.
N.J.A.C. 5:23-1.6(a); DCA letter, May 11, 2023. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; permits applied for on or after August 17, 2026; permits applied for before February 18, 2027.
Before August 17, 2026, New Jersey's building subcode was IBC/2021, which DCA's 2023 letters say included ASME A17.1-2019. Confirm the ASME A18.1 edition with the elevator subcode official.
DCA letters, May 3 and May 11, 2023. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; permits applied for before August 17, 2026.
New Jersey does not recognize a device that meets only ASME A17.7: DCA's 2023 letter says "devices which do not meet 2019 ASME A17.1 are not recognized as elevator devices in the State", and New Jersey's 2024 amendments still delete A17.7 from Table 3001.3.
DCA letter, May 11, 2023; N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.14(b)21 (Table 3001.3). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators and through-floor lifts.
Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code does not apply to a lift solely in a residential building that is used by the occupants of one dwelling unit and not used by or accessible to the occupants of any other unit, and Pennsylvania does not adopt the private residence provisions of ASME A17.1 (Sections 5.3 and 5.4) or ASME A18.1 (Parts V, VI and VII).
34 Pa. Code § 405.1(b)(3) and § 405.2. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; where Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code excludes the lift.
For an application made before December 20, 2026, Pennsylvania applies ASME A18.1-1999 with the A18.1a-2001 addenda.
34 Pa. Code § 405.2(a.5). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; vertical platform lifts, inclined platform lifts and stairlifts; where DLI regulates the lift; permits applied for before December 20, 2026.
For an application made on or after December 20, 2026, Pennsylvania applies ASME A18.1-2017.
34 Pa. Code § 405.2(a.1). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; vertical platform lifts, inclined platform lifts and stairlifts; where DLI regulates the lift; permits applied for on or after December 20, 2026.
Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code adopts Chapters 2 to 10, 12 to 29 and 31 to 35 of the 2021 International Building Code, with listed exceptions, and the 2021 International Residential Code, under 34 Pa. Code § 403.21 as amended effective January 1, 2026.
34 Pa. Code § 403.21(a)(1) and (a)(7) (55 Pa.B. 7701). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania.
Not settled by the sources
Philadelphia applies the 2021 International Codes with local amendments to applications received on or after July 1, 2026. Its local elevator amendments are not summarized here; confirm them with the Department of Licenses and Inspections.
Philadelphia Code Bulletin B-2501, October 20, 2025. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts.

Permit and acceptance

New Jersey makes it unlawful to install an elevator device without first obtaining the permit, and the permit application shows the license number of the elevator mechanic who does the work.
N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14(a), 5:23-2.15(b)11 and 5:23-12.1(e). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts.
The town's elevator subcode official may be DCA, the town's own official or a third-party agency. Check the town on DCA's Elevator Subcode Jurisdiction list.
DCA Elevator Subcode Jurisdiction list, as of April 1, 2026. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts.
Where DCA reviews the plans, no permit is issued until DCA releases them. Layout drawings carry the raised seal of a New Jersey licensed architect or engineer and show the code year.
N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.11(c); DCA Elevator Safety Plan Review/Permit Process, Rev. 01/29/2025. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; shared or public buildings.
Interpretation
Where DCA is the elevator subcode official, plans for a private residence device go to DCA for review. In our reading, the town's or a third-party official handles them elsewhere; confirm with the construction office.
DCA policy SLCI-Admin 001-2020, procedure step 1; N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.11(b), read by us. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; private homes and lifts inside one unit.
The construction official must approve or deny an application, in whole or in part, within 20 business days; the applicant may consent to an extension.
N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.16(a). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts.
Where DCA is the elevator subcode official, acceptance is by a report signed and sealed by a New Jersey licensed engineer or registered architect and sent to the construction official; its receipt completes the elevator portion of the permit.
DCA policy SLCI-Admin 001-2020; N.J.A.C. 5:23-12.3(a)5. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; private homes and lifts inside one unit.
Not settled by the sources
DCA does not publish how a town or third-party elevator subcode official handles acceptance of a private residence device. Ask the construction office.
DCA policy SLCI-Admin 001-2020. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; private homes and lifts inside one unit.
A private residence device in Groups R-3, R-4 and R-5, not accessible to the public, needs no periodic inspection and no registration with DCA.
N.J.A.C. 5:23-12.3(a)5 and 5:23-12.4(b). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; private homes.
Not settled by the sources
A device wholly within an R-2 dwelling unit and not accessible to the public needs no periodic inspection or testing. For a new building, or a new device in an existing building, confirm its registration with DCA before the certificate of occupancy or certificate of approval, because the registration exception names only Groups R-3, R-4 and R-5.
N.J.A.C. 5:23-12.2(a), 5:23-12.3(a)5, 5:23-12.4(b) and (b)1, and 5:23-2.24(f). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; lifts inside one unit.
Unless the building is in Group R-3, R-4 or R-5 and the lift is not accessible to the public, the lift needs an acceptance inspection and test, registration with DCA, and inspection and testing at intervals not exceeding one year. The contractor requests the final acceptance inspection, and the town issues the certificate once all parts of the permit are approved.
N.J.A.C. 5:23-12.2(a), 5:23-12.3(a)1, 2 and 5, and 5:23-12.4(b) and (b)1; DCA Elevator Safety Plan Review/Permit Process, Rev. 01/29/2025. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; shared or public buildings.
No device may operate without a valid certificate of compliance, except for the initial period after work under a permit is completed.
N.J.A.C. 5:23-12.9(a). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts.
Interpretation
For a commercial "Inclined vertical chair or inclined vertical platform lift", in DCA's words, DCA asks for a Platform Lift Certification letter, on which the town's building subcode official approves or disapproves the installation. In our reading the wording covers vertical and inclined platform lifts.
DCA Elevator Safety Plan Review/Permit Process, Rev. 01/29/2025; DCA Platform Lift Certification letter form. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; shared or public buildings.
Not settled by the sources
The Pennsylvania sources give no official answer on whether the related construction, such as floor openings, structure and electrical, needs a building permit. Ask the municipal building code official or, in a municipality that opted out of local enforcement, the certified third-party agency the owner hires.
34 Pa. Code § 405.1(b)(3); DLI Uniform Construction Code page. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; where Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code excludes the lift.
The owner or an authorized agent applies to DLI for a permit before construction, on form LIBI-26, and DLI grants or denies it within 30 business days of a complete application.
34 Pa. Code § 405.3(a) and (e); DLI Elevators page. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; where DLI regulates the lift.
DLI inspects the lift before it is put into service and issues a certificate of operation; the lift may not operate without one.
34 Pa. Code §§ 405.5 and 405.6(a). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; where DLI regulates the lift.
Interpretation
Lifting devices not listed in § 405.7(a), which includes elevators, LULAs, escalators and moving walks, are inspected at intervals of no more than 12 months; in our reading, platform lifts fall in that group.
34 Pa. Code § 405.7. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; where DLI regulates the lift.
DLI will not accept drawings submitted or received after October 31, 2026 that state compliance with any code other than those Pennsylvania has currently adopted; such drawings must be revised.
DLI UCC Elevator Plans Examiners notice, October 6, 2026. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; where DLI regulates the lift; permits applied for on or after November 1, 2026.
A permit issued before December 20, 2026 stays valid only if construction commences by December 20, 2028; otherwise it is rescinded and a new permit is needed before construction.
34 Pa. Code § 405.1(c)(1) and (2). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; where DLI regulates the lift; permits applied for before December 20, 2026.
From December 20, 2026, the application goes in with three copies. A permit becomes invalid unless work starts within 180 days of issuance, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 180 days after it starts; DLI may grant written extensions of 180 days each, and a permit stays valid for no more than 2 years.
34 Pa. Code § 405.3(b) and (d). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; where DLI regulates the lift; permits applied for on or after December 20, 2026.
Permit and inspection requirements for stairlifts vary by state, building type and local code office. Confirm them with the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) before installation.
Planning a project
Applies to: stairlifts.
Stairlifts in commercial buildings and in the common areas of apartment buildings need a permit and yearly inspection.
Planning a project
Applies to: stairlifts; shared or public buildings.

Who may install it

Interpretation
In New Jersey, a licensed elevator mechanic, or a person working under one's supervision, installs elevator devices. The licensing board's rules define them to include wheelchair lifts and any device within the scope of ASME A17.1 or ASME A18.1, so in our reading home elevators, through-floor lifts and platform lifts are covered, including in private homes.
N.J.S.A. 45:14H-5a; N.J.A.C. 13:44M-2.1 and 13:44M-5.2(c), with the board's response to comment 4, adoption notice 50 N.J.R. 1287(a), May 21, 2018. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts.
A contractor that does not hold the mechanic's license subcontracts all elevator installation work.
N.J.S.A. 45:14H-10. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts.
The Construction Code Act, 34 Pa. Code Chapters 403 and 405 and DLI's elevator pages set out no statewide elevator mechanic or elevator contractor license; the Act lets municipalities license people in construction. Check local contractor licensing with the municipality.
Pennsylvania Construction Code Act, Act 45 of 1999, § 104(e); 34 Pa. Code Chapters 403 and 405; DLI Elevators and Uniform Construction Code pages. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts.
Contractors at or above the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act's annual volume threshold register with the Office of Attorney General.
Act 132 of 2008; PA Office of Attorney General, Home Improvement Contractor Registration. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; private homes and lifts inside one unit.
Philadelphia requires a City contractor license for construction work that does not need a specialized company license; a business that works only on existing one- or two-family dwellings, with no special trade license work, registers with the State as a home improvement contractor instead.
City of Philadelphia, Get a contractor license. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts.

Accessibility and the ADA

Interpretation
In our reading, a private single-family home is outside the 2010 ADA Standards unless another law applies.
28 CFR 35.151 and 36.406, which set the Standards' scope; the reading is ours. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: private homes.
The 2010 ADA Standards reach a lift inside one dwelling unit where the unit is required to provide mobility features (809.2 to 809.4). Confirm that with the design professional.
2010 ADA Standards 206.7, 409 and 809. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: lifts inside one unit.
Chapter 11 of New Jersey's building subcode does not apply to townhouses or to buildings of Groups R-2, R-3, R-4 or R-5 with one, two or three dwelling units in a single structure, except townhouses or multistory dwelling units for which low- or moderate-income housing credit is sought and that are attached to another unit.
N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.14(b)10 (IBC/2024 NJ edition, 1103.2.3 and 1103.2.3.2.2). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; private homes.
An elevator that provides an accessible route within one dwelling unit need not meet the dimensional requirements of an accessible elevator.
IBC/2024 NJ edition, 1110.10, exception 1. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators and through-floor lifts; lifts inside one unit.
New Jersey's barrier free subcode is Chapter 11 of IBC/2024 with ICC A117.1-2017, and New Jersey deletes items 4, 6 and 10 of the IBC's list of permitted lift locations. Check the location with the building subcode official.
DCA Current Construction Codes (Chapter 11 of IBC/2024 and N.J.A.C. 5:23-7, ICC A117.1-2017); N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.14(b)10 (Section 1110.11). NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; shared or public buildings.
Pennsylvania still enforces the 2018 accessibility provisions, Chapter 11 and Appendix E of the 2018 IBC, because a court enjoined the 2021 updates.
DLI Uniform Construction Code page; Commonwealth Court order, October 26, 2022. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; shared or public buildings.
The 2010 ADA Standards apply to new and altered State and local government facilities, public accommodations and commercial facilities where construction or the last permit application is on or after March 15, 2012.
28 CFR 35.151 and 36.406. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: shared or public buildings.
In an existing building, the ADA Standards allow a platform lift as part of an accessible route.
2010 ADA Standards 206.7. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; shared or public buildings; existing buildings.
In new construction, a platform lift may be part of an accessible route only in the locations the ADA Standards list, such as performance areas and speakers' platforms, wheelchair spaces, and where existing exterior site constraints make a ramp or elevator infeasible.
2010 ADA Standards 206.7. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; shared or public buildings; new construction.
The lift must not be attendant-operated and must give unassisted entry and exit; end doors and gates give 32 in minimum clear width, and side doors and gates 42 in.
2010 ADA Standards 410.1 and 410.6. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; shared or public buildings.
The ADA Standards reference ASME A18.1-1999 or A18.1-2003; the Access Board says a later edition may be accepted under equivalent facilitation where it is comparable to or stricter than the referenced edition.
2010 ADA Standards 105.2.2 and 103; U.S. Access Board, Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards, Chapter 4. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; shared or public buildings.
A platform lift that the IBC sections cited in 207.2 permit as part of an accessible means of egress needs standby power.
2010 ADA Standards 207.2. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; shared or public buildings.
A stairway chairlift cannot be used where the ADA Standards permit a platform lift, because the rider must transfer to a fixed seat.
U.S. Access Board, Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards, Chapter 4. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: stairlifts; lifts inside one unit and shared or public buildings.

What the building must provide

On a required egress stair, if the lift in its open position diminishes the stair's required egress capacity, it must interface with the building fire alarm system; the building subcode official records this on the Platform Lift Certification letter.
DCA Platform Lift Certification letter form. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; inclined platform lifts; shared or public buildings; on a required exit stair.
Each model's planning guide lists the power supply and any phone line the electrician and phone installer must provide.
Savaria Eclipse Residential Elevator Planning Guide, Part No. 000623, p. 30; Savaria Telecab Home Lift Planning Guide, Part No. 000698, p. 5. Planning a project
Applies to: home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts.
DCA's Spring 2025 Construction Code Communicator, answering under the 2021 codes, says a VPL should not be tied into the fire alarm control panel and needs no fire recall. Confirm with the AHJ under the code in force.
DCA Construction Code Communicator, Vol. 37 No. 1, Spring 2025. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; vertical platform lifts; shared or public buildings.
DCA's Summer 2026 Construction Code Communicator, answering under the 2021 codes, says the elevator shaft in a single-family dwelling does not need to be fire-rated. Confirm with the AHJ.
DCA Construction Code Communicator, Vol. 38 No. 2, Summer 2026. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: New Jersey; home elevators; private homes.
Elevator wiring must comply with the ICC Electrical Code; the rule names no edition, and DLI's Elevators page lists the 2003 edition for the standards now in force.
34 Pa. Code § 405.2(a.1)(6) and (a.5)(6); DLI Elevators page. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; where DLI regulates the lift.
Drawings submitted or received after October 31, 2026 show each required electrical and maintenance clearance, and that nothing impinges on it, and the dimensions of any pit ladder, extended and retracted for a retractable one.
DLI UCC Elevator Plans Examiners notice, October 6, 2026. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; where DLI regulates the lift; permits applied for on or after November 1, 2026.
Philadelphia's Code Bulletin B-2501 references the 2020 NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code.
Philadelphia Code Bulletin B-2501, October 20, 2025. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts.

When the checker stops

Interpretation
The home elevators and through-floor lifts covered on this site are built to ASME A17.1 Section 5.3, the private residence elevator section, as their manufacturers state. The Access Board's ADA guide permits private residence elevators only within a dwelling unit or as access to a single private residence, and Pennsylvania does not adopt Section 5.3, so in our reading neither is an option for a shared or public building. Plan a different elevator type; this site does not cover them.
2010 ADA Standards 409; U.S. Access Board, Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards, Chapter 4; 34 Pa. Code § 405.2. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: home elevators and through-floor lifts; shared or public buildings.
In a building that is not solely residential, 34 Pa. Code § 405.1(b)(3) does not exclude the lift, and Pennsylvania does not adopt the private residence provisions of ASME A17.1 or ASME A18.1. The sources cited here do not say how DLI treats a private residence device there; ask DLI before design.
34 Pa. Code § 405.1(b)(3) and § 405.2. NJ and PA code requirements
Applies to: Pennsylvania and Philadelphia; home elevators, through-floor lifts, vertical platform lifts and inclined platform lifts; lifts inside one unit; in a building with other uses.

How do you read the results?

Each line is a fact from a cited source, an interpretation marked as one, or a gap the sources leave open, with the office that answers it.

Fact. One or two sentences, the code section or agency document behind them, and a link to the part of this site that explains it.
Interpretation. Our reading where the sources do not say it outright. Confirm it with the AHJ.
Not settled by the sources. The official sources are silent; the line names who to ask.
The checker stops here. The equipment cannot serve that building use, or the sources cannot settle the case, so the checker goes no further.

Every result ends with who decides and the date the rules were last checked. A code change after that date is not reflected until this page is updated.

Worked examples

Three projects show the method: a home elevator in a New Jersey home, a platform lift for a Pennsylvania church and a through-floor lift for a church.

Home elevator in a New Jersey home, permit applied for November 2, 2026. The 2024 codes apply, with ASME A17.1-2022, unless, in our reading, the application qualifies for the grace period for the previous code. In our reading, a licensed elevator mechanic installs it. Where DCA is the elevator subcode official, a sealed report from a New Jersey engineer or architect completes the elevator portion of the permit.
Vertical platform lift for an existing Pennsylvania church, permit applied for January 15, 2027. The application falls after December 20, 2026, so ASME A18.1-2017 applies, and the drawings may state compliance only with Pennsylvania's adopted codes. DLI permits the lift, inspects it and issues the certificate of operation, and the ADA allows a platform lift on an accessible route in an existing building.
Through-floor lift for a New Jersey church. The checker stops: the through-floor lifts covered here are built to the private residence elevator section, so, in our reading, the project needs a different kind of lift before anything else is planned.

Frequently asked questions

Is code fluency a certification?

No. It is not a license or a credential. On this site it names a method: answer the five questions for one project, from the official sources, before construction.

Does the checker say whether my project complies?

No. It lists the rules that apply and where each one lives. The AHJ decides what applies to a project, and the architect or engineer of record is responsible for the design.

Why does the permit application date matter?

Codes change on set dates. New Jersey's 2024 codes took effect August 17, 2026, with a six-month grace period, and Pennsylvania changes its ASME editions for applications made on or after December 20, 2026.

How current are the rules?

Each result shows the date the rules were last checked. Dated changes, such as Pennsylvania's Chapter 405 amendments that take effect December 20, 2026, are rechecked when they happen, and the checker and the code page are updated together.

Sources and revision history

Show the sources and revision history

The source of each checker rule is shown with the rule. The main sources:

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Acting Chairman Buerkle's letter to all 50 governors, August 6, 2019, and CPSC Alert: Protect Children from a Deadly Gap between Doors of Home Elevators, August 8, 2019.
NJ DCA, Notice of adoption, 2024 model codes, R.2026 d.086, effective August 17, 2026.
N.J.A.C. 5:23-1, 5:23-2, 5:23-3 and 5:23-12.
NJ DCA, Elevator Safety Plan Review/Permit Process, Rev. 01/29/2025; Acceptance Inspections of Private Residence Elevator Devices, SLCI-Admin 001-2020; Platform Lift Certification letter form; Elevator Subcode Jurisdiction.
NJ DCA, letter Residential Elevator Lifts and Devices Under ASME A17.7, May 11, 2023, and Construction Code Communicator, Spring 2025 and Summer 2026.
P.L. 2012, c. 71 (N.J.S.A. 45:14H) and the N.J.A.C. 13:44M adoption notice, 50 N.J.R. 1287(a).
34 Pa. Code § 403.21 and 34 Pa. Code Chapter 405; PA DLI, Elevators and Uniform Construction Code pages; DLI UCC Elevator Plans Examiners notice, October 6, 2026 (no public link).
City of Philadelphia, Code Bulletin B-2501 and Get a contractor license.
U.S. Department of Justice, 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, and U.S. Access Board, Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards, Chapter 4.

Revision	Date	Change
Rev. 01	2026-10-07	First publication.
Rev. 02	2026-10-07	Sources: the licensing board's adoption notice replaces the Spring 2024 Communicator, which covers maintenance only.

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Code fluency: check a lift project against New Jersey and Pennsylvania code