Category 1 & Category 5 Elevator Safety Testing
The annual elevator inspection (Category 1) and the Category 5 five-year test are the backbone of compliance in Oregon and Washington. Periodic testing is also the most common reason a building fails a state inspection — not because the equipment is unsafe, but because the test was late, undocumented, or the records never made it into the right file.
What the annual elevator inspection (Category 1) covers
Category 1 is the annual periodic test required under ASME A17.1, the safety code adopted by both Oregon and Washington. It’s performed without load.
Traction equipment
Category 1 scope
- Car and counterweight safeties operated at reduced speed
- Overspeed governor operation
- Machine brake
- Emergency terminal stopping and speed-reducing devices, where provided
- Firefighters’ emergency operation, Phase I and Phase II
- Standby and emergency power operation, where provided
- Emergency two-way communication
- Normal and final terminal stopping devices
- Door protection and restrictor devices
Hydraulic equipment
Category 1 scope
- Relief valve setting verification
- Pressure switch operation
- Low oil protection
- Car safeties and plunger grippers, where provided
- Firefighters’ emergency operation
- Emergency two-way communication
- Terminal stopping devices
- Door protection and restrictor devices
Scope varies with equipment type, age, configuration and the code edition applicable to your installation. We confirm scope against your specific equipment before we schedule, so there are no surprises on the invoice or in the report.
What a Category 5 test covers, and why it’s the one that gets missed
Category 5 runs on a five-year cycle. It’s a materially bigger event than the annual test, it usually requires taking the car out of service for a meaningful block of time, and it’s the test most likely to be overdue on a building that has changed hands or changed management companies.
On traction equipment, the Category 5 is a full-load, full-speed test. The car safeties are set at rated load and rated speed. The governor is tripped, its tripping speed verified, and it’s recalibrated and resealed. The brake is proven under load. Buffers are tested where applicable. This is the test that proves the equipment will actually stop a fully loaded car — the annual no-load test cannot demonstrate that.
On hydraulic equipment, the Category 5 includes a pressure test of the system, along with testing of safeties and plunger grippers where they’re provided.
Category 3 intermediate testing applies to certain equipment configurations on a three-year cycle. We’ll tell you whether yours is one of them.
Plan the Category 5, don’t react to it
Because the Category 5 requires full rated load, it involves weights, a crew, and coordination with building operations. It isn’t a service call. Budget it, schedule it around your tenants, and give notice — rather than discovering it’s three years overdue on the day an inspector writes it up.
Category 1 and Category 5 elevator test cycles at a glance
| Item | Oregon | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Category 1 test | Annual | Annual |
| Category 5 test | Every 5 years | Every 5 years |
| Operating permit cycle | Two-year inspection interval | Annual |
| Who performs periodic tests | Licensed elevator contractor | Licensed elevator contractor |
| Who performs the safety inspection | Oregon BCD inspector | Washington L&I inspector |
| Test record format | On-site maintenance documentation | L&I state form |
| Record retention | Available at inspection | Five years, on site |
| Alternative Cat 5 test methods | Per adopted code | Not permitted |
Documentation is half the job
A test that’s performed but not properly recorded will still put you out of compliance. We document every test to the standard your jurisdiction expects.
- Washington — Category 1 and Category 5 results are recorded on the L&I state periodic test form, and the record belongs in your Maintenance Control Program. Washington requires MCP documentation on site with records retained for five years.
- Oregon — test records belong in your on-site maintenance documentation and must be available when the Building Codes Division inspector performs the general safety inspection.
Governor seals, test tags, and the dated record in the machine room are what an inspector actually looks at. We leave all three correct. If you’re building or repairing a compliance file, our preventive maintenance program includes the full Maintenance Control Program documentation set.
Who is allowed to perform these tests
In Oregon, regulated conveyance work — including safety testing — must be performed by licensed elevator personnel under OAR Chapter 918, Division 400. In Washington, elevator contractors and mechanics are licensed under Chapter 296-96 WAC.
PDX Elevator Safety is a licensed union elevator company. Oregon CCB# 254296, EM27.
A note specific to Washington buildings
ASME A17.1 contemplates alternative Category 5 test methodologies in certain circumstances. Washington doesn’t permit them. If a contractor has proposed an alternative test method for a Vancouver or Clark County building, that’s worth a second opinion before you approve it. See elevator testing in Vancouver, Washington.
What happens if your testing is overdue
Nothing dramatic happens on the day it lapses. What happens is that the next state inspection produces a correction notice, the correction carries a deadline, and if corrections aren’t satisfactorily completed the state can decline to issue the operating permit.
In Oregon, the operating permit or a copy must be posted in clear view in the car. An expired permit in a passenger elevator is visible to every tenant, every visitor and every insurance adjuster who walks through the building.
If you’re already past due, that’s a fixable problem, and it’s worth a phone call today rather than after the inspector’s next visit.
Not sure what your equipment is due for?
Send us your last state inspection report and we’ll tell you what’s due and when — at no charge, whether or not you hire us. That’s part of our complimentary elevator consulting, and it’s the fastest way to find out where you actually stand.
Firefighters’ emergency operation is verified as part of Category 1 testing, and it connects directly to your fire alarm testing schedule. If your detectors are being tested this year, read elevator smoke testing and fire recall standby before you book it — the two trades have to be coordinated or you’ll pay for both to wait.
We perform Category 1 and Category 5 testing across Portland, Oregon, the surrounding metro, statewide Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is a Category 1 elevator test required?
Annually. It’s a no-load periodic test performed under ASME A17.1, required in both Oregon and Washington.
How often is a Category 5 elevator test required?
Every five years. On traction equipment it’s a full-load, full-speed test of the car safeties, governor and brake. On hydraulic equipment it includes a system pressure test.
How long does a Category 5 test take?
It depends on equipment type, rated load, rise and building access. It’s substantially longer than an annual test and normally requires taking the car out of service. We give you a realistic duration for your specific equipment before we schedule, so you can notify tenants properly.
Does the state inspector perform the Category 1 and Category 5 tests?
No. The periodic tests are the owner’s responsibility and are performed by a licensed elevator contractor. The state inspector performs the general safety inspection and reviews your records. Those are two different things, and confusing them is the most common compliance mistake we see.
How often does Oregon inspect elevators?
Oregon operating permits are issued on a two-year inspection interval, and the Building Codes Division schedules the general safety inspection. The division reserves the right to inspect more frequently based on factors including accidents and injuries, occupancy type, equipment type and environmental conditions.
How often does Washington inspect elevators?
Washington issues elevator operating permits annually through the Department of Labor & Industries — a shorter cycle than Oregon’s two-year interval.
What if I don’t know when my last test was performed?
Check the machine room documentation and the governor seal, then send us what you find. If the records are incomplete we can help you reconstruct the compliance picture at no charge.
Get Your Testing Back on Schedule
Overdue on a Category 5? Holding a correction notice you can’t decode? Not sure whether your last annual was ever documented? All fixable, and the first conversation costs nothing.