Emergency Elevator Access

R.S. 40:1582: Emergency Elevator Access

R.S. 40:1582, Emergency Elevator Access, requires, for all buildings in the State of Louisiana that meet the following requirements,

• each building in this state which is six or more stories in height, and was constructed or substantially renovated after January 1st, 2009,
• each existing in this state which is six or more stories in height,
• each building in this state, except for one- and two-family dwellings, which is five or fewer stories in height in which a new elevator is installed after January 1, 2013,

that all of the keys for elevators that allow public access, including but not limited to service and freight elevators, shall be keyed so as to allow all elevators to operate in fire emergency situations with one master elevator key.

Documentation & Files

The Louisiana Legislature passed Act 749 during the Regular Session of 2008 and Act 367 of the 2010 Regular Session regarding emergency elevator access. R. S. 40:1582 requires:

1. For each building in this state which is six or more stories in height, including but not limited to hotelsand condominiums, which is constructed or substantially renovated after January 1, 2009, all of the keys for elevators that allow public access, including but not limited to service and freight elevators,shall be keyed so as to allow all elevators to operate in fire emergency situations with one master elevator key.
2. Each existing building in this state which is six or more stories in height shall comply with Subsection A of this Section before January 1, 2012. Each building in this state, except for one- and two-family dwellings, which is five or fewer stories in height in which a new elevator is installed after January 1, 2013, shall comply with Subsection A of this Section.

The Office of State Fire Marshal has promulgated rules for implementation of this law which identifies measures that will assure that each existing building subject to the law can be retrofitted to comply. A copy of the law and rule can be found below.

A Master Elevator Key Order Form with a list of authorized distributors is found in the attachment below. Any further questions should be directed to Christy Abshire.

Emergency Elevator Access: Notification Memo
Posted: 04/30/13

Master Elevator Key Order Form
Posted: 01/04/19

R.S. 40:1582: Elevator Emergency Access

Below is the text of R.S. 40:1582 that may be downloaded in .pdf format:

R.S. 40:1582 Emergency Elevator Access
Posted: 04/30/13

Emergency Elevator Access Rules
Posted: 04/30/13

To Louisiana Fire Departments - Our Partners In Safety:

Thank you for assisting the Louisiana State Fire Marshal's office in implementing R.S. 40:1582 which is a vitalmeasure of safety for our citizens and for first responders who may need access to elevators in times of emergency. Please identify buildings in your jurisdiction that are subject to R.S. 40:1582 (complete one form for each building):

Emergency Elevator Access: Building Information Sheet
Posted: 08/06/09