How to Complete the Elevator Phase 1 and Phase 2 Testing Form

The elevator Phase 1 and Phase 2 testing form is the official record that documents whether an elevator’s firefighter emergency operation works correctly. There is no single national version. Your local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) issues the form you must use, whether that is a city Department of Buildings, a state fire marshal, or a state licensing agency. You complete it after a licensed elevator technician runs through the recall and in-car test sequence defined by ASME A17.1, the Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, and the form simply captures what the elevator did or failed to do at each step.

Where to Get the Correct Form

Contact the agency that issued your elevator’s operating permit. That same office publishes the current form and any local addenda. Common sources include:

State fire marshal offices. Florida and Colorado, for example, publish standardized fire service test logs that contractors fill out during monthly and periodic testing.¹
State licensing agencies. Texas routes filings through the Department of Licensing and Regulation, which provides a monthly firefighters service log template.
City Departments of Buildings. New York City, Chicago, and Denver maintain their own elevator codes and jurisdiction-specific forms, often with online portals for submission.
Elevator contractors. Many contractors use proprietary checklists that mirror each ASME A17.1 test step, then transfer the results onto the official municipal form for filing.

If you aren’t sure which form applies, call the permit-issuing office before scheduling the test. Using an outdated version is a common reason forms get rejected.

What Phase 1 Records

Phase 1 is the automatic recall. When a smoke detector activates in an elevator lobby, hoistway, or machine room, the elevator should cancel all calls and travel nonstop to a designated floor, usually the main lobby. If the triggered detector is at or below that designated floor, the car should divert to an alternate recall floor instead, so occupants aren’t delivered into the fire zone.² The doors open and stay open at the recall floor until a firefighter takes manual control.

The form asks you to log pass or fail for each of the following:

Normal operation before the test begins.
Recall triggered by the lobby smoke detector at the designated floor. The car should cancel active calls, travel nonstop, and open its doors automatically.
The flashing firefighter-hat visual indicator at the lobby illuminating during recall.³
Alternate floor recall when a detector at or below the designated floor is activated.²
Lobby three-position key switch function in each position. “ON” forces recall regardless of detector status, “OFF” restores normal service, and “BYPASS” restores service independent of the smoke detection system.⁴
The in-car audible signal sounding during recall.
Recall travel time from the farthest floor to the recall level, which confirms the car isn’t stalling or running at reduced speed.

Detectors are required in the elevator lobby, in the hoistway if sprinklered, and in the machine or control room, and each location must be triggered during the test to confirm the correct recall behavior.⁵

What Phase 2 Records

Phase 2 picks up where Phase 1 ended, with the car parked at the recall floor and doors open. The technician inserts the FEO-K1 key (the standard universal firefighter key under ASME A17.1 since the 2007 edition) into the in-car “FIRE OPERATION” switch and turns it to “FIREMAN SERVICE.”⁶ The elevator should now respond only to the person inside the car, and the doors should only open while the door-open button is held down.²

Log pass or fail for each of these behaviors:

Pressing a floor button sends the car to that floor, but doors do not open automatically.
The door-open button requires constant pressure. Release causes the doors to begin closing.
Hall calls at other floors are ignored.
Pressing a floor selection while holding door-close registers the call and moves the car.
Turning the switch to “HOLD” keeps the car in Phase 2 but allows the firefighter to remove the key.
Turning the switch to “NORMAL” at a floor other than the designated or alternate level causes the car to automatically recall back to the recall floor, rather than sitting idle mid-building.¹

Also confirm that the FEO-K1 key operates both the lobby and in-car switches, and that spare keys are stored in the labeled elevator key box.⁷ Older elevators predating the 2007 code may still use proprietary manufacturer keys; note which standard the building uses if the form asks.

Filling In the Form

Field names vary by jurisdiction, but you should expect to enter:

Building information: address, number of floors, owner or manager name, and the elevator contractor’s license number.
Elevator identification for each unit: serial number, manufacturer, type (hydraulic, traction, or machine-room-less), and the ASME A17.1 code year under which it was installed or last altered.
The designated and alternate recall floor numbers, with confirmation that both were tested.
Phase 1 results for each detector location, key switch position, indicator, audible signal, and recall travel time.
Phase 2 results for each key switch position, door-open constant pressure, door-close operation, hall call suppression, and return-to-recall behavior.
Emergency communication check. Under ASME A17.1-2019, two-way voice must be functional, text-based communication for passengers who are deaf or hard of hearing is required, and elevators with a rise of 60 feet or more require video monitoring capability.⁸
Deficiencies. Describe each failure in detail, including what the elevator did versus what it should have done.

Who Signs and Who Witnesses

Signatures are what turn the form from an internal log into a legal attestation. The technician who performed the test signs. Missing signatures are one of the most common reasons forms get returned during administrative review.

Most jurisdictions require the test to be performed by a licensed elevator mechanic working for a licensed elevator contractor. For periodic inspections and acceptance tests, many AHJs require the work to be performed or witnessed by a Qualified Elevator Inspector (QEI) certified under the ASME QEI-1 standard. The most common QEI path requires four years of documented elevator industry experience, including at least one year performing inspections or witnessing tests under ASME A17.1 Sections 8.10 or 8.11.⁹

Several jurisdictions, including New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C., Denver, Maryland, Texas, and Florida, require a third-party QEI hired by the building owner to witness the test independently of the elevator contractor.¹⁰ Where third-party witnessing applies, both the contractor’s technician and the independent inspector sign the form.

Submitting the Form

Submission depends on your AHJ. Large cities increasingly use online portals tied to their Department of Buildings. You upload the completed form, pay any fee electronically, and receive a confirmation number. Smaller jurisdictions may still accept mailed or hand-delivered paper forms. Some states process filings through the state fire marshal’s office; others route them through a licensing and regulation agency.

Filing fees vary. Illinois charges $75 for an annual renewal of a certificate of operation and $100 for an initial certificate.¹¹ Other jurisdictions charge more, especially for buildings with multiple elevator banks. Ask your AHJ for the current schedule before you file.

Keep a copy of the confirmation receipt or certified mail tracking. Some agencies return a stamped or digitally signed copy of the approved form, which is your proof of compliance if a fire marshal shows up unannounced. Completed forms and logs must be kept on-site, typically in the elevator machine room or fire command center. Retention periods vary; some jurisdictions require a minimum of five years from the last entry.

Which Interval, Which Form

The version of the form you complete may depend on which testing cycle you’re in.

Monthly. Owners or their representatives perform a brief functional test of Phase 1 recall and at least one floor of Phase 2, logging the result.¹
Quarterly. Emergency two-way communication systems are tested to confirm voice, and where required, text and video functionality.
Category 1, annual. A full run-through of every Phase 1 and Phase 2 step for each unit, along with other safety components.¹²
Category 5, every five years. The deepest inspection, adding full-load and full-speed testing of safety devices, overspeed governors, and buffers.¹²

Category 1 and Category 5 tests can be completed across multiple scheduled visits within the calendar year, provided every required component is tested before the year closes.¹²

Failures You’ll Likely Document

A handful of problems account for most Phase 1 and 2 failures. Knowing them helps you catch issues before the formal test and describe them accurately on the form:

Lobby smoke detectors disconnected or bypassed after being pulled to stop nuisance alarms, so recall never triggers.
Fire alarm panel not communicating with the elevator controller. The detector activates but the relay fails to signal the elevator.
Doors that don’t stay open at the recall floor because a door closer or nudging feature overrides Phase 1.
Phase 2 door-open button not requiring constant pressure, sometimes after a controller software update resets door parameters.
Car responding to hall calls during Phase 2, from a wiring issue or software glitch.
Key switches physically corroded or stuck from years of disuse.
Burned-out fire hat indicator bulbs.

When you record a deficiency, describe what the elevator did and what it should have done. Correction windows depend on severity and jurisdiction. A complete failure to recall is typically immediately hazardous and must be corrected before the elevator returns to service. Less critical items may carry 30- to 90-day windows. After repairs, the affected steps are re-tested and the form updated before final submission.

Penalties for Filing Late or Not at All

Failing to test, filing late, or operating with unresolved fire service deficiencies can carry significant fines. In Maryland, the Commissioner may assess a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per elevator unit in violation, with double penalties for willful or repeated violations. If an owner fails to correct a violation within 10 days of a final order, an additional penalty of up to $1,000 per day may apply.¹³ In Texas, first-violation penalties for building owners range from $1,000 to $5,000 per unit and escalate with repeated offenses.¹⁴

Beyond fines, an AHJ can order the elevator out of service until deficiencies are corrected. In a high-rise office building, a hospital, or a residential building with elderly tenants, that shutdown is usually the more expensive consequence.

1
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Elevator Phase 1 and 2 Testing Form
2
UpCodes. Section 2.27 Emergency Operation and Signaling Devices
3
UpCodes. Elevator Firefighter Indicator
4
UpCodes. 3014.5 Key Switch Functions
5
UpCodes. System Smoke Detectors Shall Be Located in Elevator Lobbies, Sprinklered Hoistways and Machine/Control Rooms/Spaces
6
UpCodes. 3019.1 Phase II In-Car Operation
7
UpCodes. Elevator Key Box
8
Avire. Navigating ASME A17.1-2019 and 2022 Communication Standards
9
National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC). QEI
10
Boca Group International. Third Party Inspections and Witnessing
11
Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal. Elevator Fees
12
TSASK. Elevator Periodic Category Tests and Inspection Frequency
13
New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Maryland Code Public Safety 12-814.3 – Commissioner May Assess and Collect Civil Penalties
14
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Building Owners Elevator Penalties and Sanctions