California’s elevator inspection system is failing — and the numbers prove it.

Over 66,000 elevators across the state currently have expired permits, including:

• 7,581 of 13,455 elevators in San Francisco (56.3%)
• 2,987 of 3,901 in San Jose (76.5%)
• Hundreds of elevators at UC campuses are past due
• Even the elevators at the Department of Industrial Relations field office in Oakland — the agency responsible for inspections — are out of compliance

I’m a 21-year-old systems engineer who built ElevatorDatabase.com, a public tool that makes state elevator permit data searchable. What I found shows a system that is dangerously backlogged and under-resourced.

This doesn’t mean elevators are unsafe — many are still maintained by qualified professionals.

But inspections add a vital second layer of accountability to ensure that service companies and equipment are consistently meeting California’s high safety standards.

The state’s permitting and inspection program is falling behind — not just because of limited staffing, but because there’s a growing shortage of qualified inspectors. Job postings go unfilled, and the profession lacks visibility or competitive recruitment compared to other technical careers.

We call on Governor Gavin Newsom, the California Department of Industrial Relations, and the State Legislature to:

1. Increase funding and staffing for state-employed elevator inspectors
2. Make elevator inspection careers more attractive and sustainable, with competitive salaries, hiring incentives, public outreach, and workforce marketing
3. Authorize more certified, neutral third-party inspection organizations — not maintenance companies, but independent accredited entities as used successfully in other states

This isn’t about causing alarm — it’s about fixing a critical state function that’s no longer keeping up.

Elevator inspections are a crucial check that ensures systems are safe, service companies are accountable, and Californians can trust the infrastructure they rely on every day.

We need action — not just awareness.