36% of Massachusetts Elevators Operated with Expired Inspection Certificates

State elevator inspection programs across the United States are chronically understaffed relative to the number of elevators they must inspect. In Massachusetts, a state audit found that 14,211 elevators — approximately 36% of the 39,461 registered elevators — were operating with expired inspection certificates. Over 1,700 of those certificates had been expired for more than four years. Despite hiring 14 additional inspectors after a 2010 audit identified a 30% noncompliance rate, the backlog actually increased. This matters because elevator inspections are the primary mechanism by which the public is protected from mechanical failures, door malfunctions, and code violations that cause the roughly 17,000 serious injuries and 27 deaths that occur annually in the US from elevator and escalator incidents. An uninspected elevator is not necessarily unsafe, but without inspection there is no way to know whether worn cables, faulty door interlocks, or failed safeties have been addressed. The inspection is the only independent check on whether maintenance has actually been performed. The consequences cascade: when inspections lapse, building owners lose the external pressure to invest in maintenance. Insurance carriers that require current inspection certificates may unknowingly cover uninspected equipment, creating hidden liability exposure. And when an accident does occur in an uninspected elevator, the legal and financial consequences for the building owner are catastrophic — negligence per se in many jurisdictions. This problem persists because elevator inspector positions are state government jobs that pay significantly less than private-sector elevator mechanic roles (which have a median wage of $106,580 per year according to the BLS). The same labor pool that maintains elevators also inspects them, so state agencies cannot compete for talent. Meanwhile, the number of elevators grows every year as new buildings are constructed, but inspector headcount remains flat or grows slowly due to budget constraints. Structurally, there is no federal elevator safety agency. Each state runs its own program with its own staffing levels, fee structures, and enforcement mechanisms. Some states allow third-party inspections, others do not. This patchwork means there is no national floor for inspection quality or frequency, and states with the worst backlogs face no external accountability.