State of Illinois Fire Marshal Elevator Division 9/10/26 Meeting - Code Update

THE MEETING NOTES BELOW APPLY TO ELEVATORS IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO

Overview

At the latest meeting of the Elevator Safety Review Board, there were relatively few new items discussed. The primary focus was the topic of door lock monitoring (DLM) and the amount of flexibility in implementing a deadline for compliance. Since the board had previously voted to adopt the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) 17.1 2025 code, instead of the 2022 version, DLM as a retroactive requirement continues to be the topic of conversation. Scroll down to see some of the highlights between the 2022 and 2025 codes.

The Board summarized the topic of DLM from when it entered their meetings almost 2 years ago to the recent pause in its adoption. It also voted unanimously to keep DLM as a retroactive component of the A17.1 2025, which means older elevators would not be grandfathered in.

Another topic of discussion was the flexibility of implementation of the retroactive DLM requirement. The Board members eventually agreed to extend the deadline for compliance from 3 to 7 years. They felt there was a better chance of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) adopting the 2025 code, including DLM, if there was a longer timeframe for buildings to plan for the needed upgrades. 

Additionally, a comment was made that the 7 year timeline is likely more realistic given the nature of state's recently implemented FAID mandate. FAID, which is the 5-year inspection requirement for fire alarm initiating devices (FAID), initially had less than a 3 year compliance deadline which was eventually extended an extra year. Since several elevators throughout the state still don't have a passing FAID inspection almost 6 years after adoption, the shorter deadline was unrealistic.

The meeting concluded with the Board voting to adopt the language changes to the Illinois Administrative Code 1000 as put forth in the meeting's agenda, appendix C. The changes incorporate the current 2025 code, exclude sections for Remote Interaction Operation and Test Enabled Operation, and extends the compliance date for DLM on existing elevators.  

Comparing A17.1 2022 vs A17.1 2025

Below is a copy of the Office of the State Fire Marshal's comparison of key changes in the 2022 and 2025 codes. This list is not exhaustive and only highlights a group of changes that have been identified by the Administrator as possibly having a more noticeable impact.

The key take away for Colley customers

The Elevator Safety Division understands there will be challenges to implementing all changes contained in the A17.1 2025 safety code, however they are dedicated to the safety of the riding public and industry professionals. At Colley, we've been closely following the progress of the code's adoption since we know it could potentially impact a large number of our customers.

We are still a ways away from an actual change as there is still a long bureaucratic process that is just now being restarted. At the moment there is nothing for buildings to do besides prepare and understand what may be coming. Our recommendation is if you have an older elevator, or one that has equipment that is considered “obsolete”, begin budgeting for a modernization.  For newer equipment, or equipment that has been modernized in the last 20-30 years and is reliable and safe, hold tight for more OSFM/State of Illinois news.  

If you have any questions or would like additional information feel free to contact CraigZ@colleyelevator.com or 630-766-7230 ext. 107.

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