Annual, Cat 1, and Cat 5: Elevator Test Tags Explained
Walk into any machine room and you'll find a cluster of small metal tags near the controller. They're not decoration — they're the elevator's testing record, required by the periodic-testing provisions of ASME A17.1 (Sections 8.10 and 8.11) and enforced by your jurisdiction.
The main tags you'll see
- Acceptance test tags — record the acceptance testing when a new or altered unit goes into service (Section 8.10). Separate versions exist for electric and hydraulic machines.
- Annual / periodic tags — record routine periodic inspections and tests. See CodePlates' Annual 5-Year Tags.
- Category 1 tags — the yearly no-load safety test series on the schedule most jurisdictions adopt; recorded on electric and hydraulic periodic test tags.
- Category 5 tags — the five-year full-load, full-speed test on traction elevators (with corresponding multi-year tests on hydraulics). The big one inspectors witness.
- Governor and safety test tags — recording governor trip tests and safety tests on traction units; see Governor Test and Governor Safety tags.
Why metal, and why it matters at inspection
Test records on site must survive years in a machine room. Code-required markings have to remain permanently legible (A17.1 8.13), and a missing or unreadable test tag is a routine write-up — it leaves the inspector unable to confirm the unit's testing history. Etched aluminum tags cost a few dollars and remove the problem permanently.
Stocking up
Service companies typically keep a supply on the truck. CodePlates sells the full tag family — laser-etched anodized aluminum with 3M adhesive or mechanical mounting, built to A17.1-2022 — ordered online with a free account, shipped nationwide from Stevensville, MD.
More guides: What Goes on a Code Data Plate? · Elevator Alteration Plates & Section 8.7
This guide is general information for the elevator trade, not code text or legal advice. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and code edition — always confirm with the ASME A17.1 edition adopted by your Authority Having Jurisdiction.