ASME publishes the A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators on a roughly three-year revision cycle. The 2025 edition, published in late 2025, represents the most significant set of changes since the 2019 cycle. The code is developed by a volunteer committee of manufacturers, independent consultants, elevator inspectors, labor representatives, and building officials who review proposals, debate technical merit, and vote on changes over a multi-year process. Each revision cycle typically considers hundreds of code change proposals, and the committee structure ensures that no single stakeholder group controls the outcome.
The 2025 edition includes expanded provisions for machine room-less (MRL) elevators, which now account for the majority of new traction elevator installations in mid-rise construction. Earlier editions of A17.1 treated MRL configurations as exceptions to the standard machine room requirements, but the 2025 code reorganizes these provisions into a more comprehensive framework. Requirements for controller access, emergency evacuation procedures, and maintenance space in MRL configurations have been clarified and, in some cases, made more stringent. For mechanics working on MRL units, this means updated procedures for lockout/tagout in configurations where the controller, drive, and machine are distributed across the hoistway rather than centralized in a dedicated room.
Seismic requirements received significant attention in the 2025 cycle. The code committee incorporated updated seismic hazard maps from the USGS and tightened requirements for counterweight derailment protection, rail bracket anchorage, and seismic switch sensitivity in Seismic Zones 3 and 4. Buildings in high-risk regions of California, the Pacific Northwest, and parts of the central United States will see the most impact. Contractors bidding work in these zones need to account for heavier rail brackets, upgraded seismic switches, and more rigorous acceptance testing during final inspection.
New provisions for destination dispatch systems also appear in the 2025 edition. As destination dispatch has moved from a premium feature in Class A office buildings to a standard offering from most major OEMs, the code now addresses group dispatching logic, accessibility requirements for dispatching interfaces, and integration with emergency recall systems. These provisions give AHJs (Authorities Having Jurisdiction) a clearer basis for inspecting and accepting destination dispatch installations, which previously existed in a gray area between the elevator code and local accessibility standards.
The practical challenge, as always, is adoption timing. ASME publishes the code, but individual states decide when to adopt it. Some jurisdictions move quickly, while others operate on code editions that are five or more years old. For national contractors and traveling mechanics, this patchwork means keeping track of which code edition applies in each state. NAESA (the National Association of Elevator Safety Authorities) maintains adoption data by state, and staying current on that information is as important as understanding the code changes themselves.