Lift and Elevator Codes and Standards in New Zealand
Lifts are regulated through the Building Code (clause D2 Mechanical installations for access), administered by MBIE with building consents issued by territorial authorities. Acceptable Solutions D2/AS1 (passenger lifts, citing NZS 4332:1997 and, since 1 January 2017, BS EN 81-20/-50/-28/-77), D2/AS2 (platform and low-speed lifts, NZS 4334) and D2/AS3 (escalators and moving walks, EN 115) are deemed to comply. In service, lifts and escalators are 'specified systems' (SS 8/1 passenger lifts, SS 8/2 platform/low-speed/service lifts, SS 8/3 escalators and moving walks) on the building's compliance schedule, inspected by an Independently Qualified Person (IQP) under the annual building warrant of fitness regime.
Who regulates lifts
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) - Building System; territorial authorities (councils) as building consent authorities
Periodic inspection
Per the compliance schedule (SS 8): inspection and maintenance per the MBIE Compliance Schedule Handbook, typically annually by a registered IQP (council forms)
Installer and maintenance licensing
No lift-specific installer licence found; in-service checks by IQPs registered with councils for SS 8
Laws, codes and standards
- NZ Building Code clause D2 — Building Code clause D2 Mechanical installations for accessMandatory · Building Code (Building Regulations under the Building Act) · MBIE
- BS EN 81-20 (2014) — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts - Passenger and goods passenger liftsReferenced by law · Cited in D2/AS1 from 1 Jan 2017 (with NZ modifications) · CEN / BSI
- NZS 4332 (1997) — Non-domestic passenger and goods liftsReferenced by law · Cited in D2/AS1 from 28 Feb 1998 · Standards New Zealand
- D2/AS1 (2nd edition Amendment 7 (2017)) — Acceptable Solution D2/AS1: Passenger Carrying LiftsHarmonised (presumption of conformity) · Deemed to comply with Building Code clause D2 (Building Act) · MBIE
- D2/AS2 — Acceptable Solution D2/AS2: Platform Lifts and Low-Speed LiftsHarmonised (presumption of conformity) · MBIE
- D2/AS3 — Acceptable Solution D2/AS3: Escalators and moving walksHarmonised (presumption of conformity) · MBIE
- Specified systems SS 8/1, 8/2, 8/3 — Compliance schedule specified systems for lifts (passenger; platform, low-speed and service; escalators and moving walks)Mandatory · Compliance schedule and building warrant of fitness regime under the Building Act · MBIE / territorial authorities
Lift associations and bodies
Last verified 2026-10-17. Standards are copyrighted: we list which one applies and its legal status, not its text.