CL · Expiry & renewal tracking
Never let a lift in your building miss its certification
The owner must have lifts, goods lifts and escalators certified by a registered certifier: every 2 years in housing, every year in facilities and by transport capacity in other uses (LGUC, Article 159 bis; OGUC, Article 5.9.5). The certificate is filed with the Municipal Works Department before the deadline.
Law 20.296 added Article 159 bis to Chile's General Urban Planning and Construction Law (DFL 458 of 1975). Under that article, vertical, inclined or funicular lifts, goods lifts and escalators or moving walks in private or public buildings must be installed and maintained according to the manufacturer's specifications and the General Urban Planning and Construction Ordinance (OGUC); owners are responsible for maintenance and must prove, through a certificate issued by a certifier listed in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development register, that the installations have been properly maintained and are fit to keep operating (LGUC, Article 159 bis; Law 20.296, Articles 1 and 3).
Article 5.9.5 of the OGUC sets the frequency according to building use and transport capacity: housing, every 2 years; facilities (equipamiento), every year; residential uses other than housing, productive activities and infrastructure, every 2 years if transport capacity is up to 8% and every year if it exceeds 8%. Buildings with more than one use apply the predominant use and, where uses are equal, the stricter requirement. The first certification takes place in the month in which the period counted from final acceptance of the building ends, and later ones at the same intervals and in the same months (OGUC, Article 5.9.5, item 4).
Maintenance is carried out at least once a month by a maintainer listed in the Law 20.296 register, following the manufacturer's annual maintenance plan, and is logged on a visible annual chart (OGUC, Article 5.9.5, item 3). A certificate is issued for each installation, states the month and year of the next certification and must be filed with the Municipal Works Department (DOM) before the deadline expires and within 30 days of issue; the certifier fixes a seal reading "INSTALACIÓN CERTIFICADA" showing the next certification date (OGUC, Article 5.9.5, item 4).
At a glance
| Rule | General Urban Planning and Construction Law, Article 159 bis (added by Law 20.296) and OGUC, Article 5.9.5 |
|---|---|
| Which installations | Vertical, inclined or funicular lifts, goods lifts and escalators or moving walks in private or public buildings (LGUC, Article 159 bis) |
| Housing | Certification every 2 years (OGUC, Article 5.9.5) |
| Facilities (equipamiento) | Certification every year, whatever the transport capacity (OGUC, Article 5.9.5) |
| Residential other than housing, productive activities, infrastructure | Every 2 years with transport capacity up to 8%; every year above 8% (OGUC, Article 5.9.5) |
| Who certifies | A person or company listed in the Certifiers category of the Law 20.296 register (OGUC, Article 5.9.5) |
| Filing with the DOM | Before the deadline expires and within 30 days of the certificate's issue (OGUC, Article 5.9.5) |
| Maintenance | At least once a month, by a registered maintainer (OGUC, Article 5.9.5) |
The period for the first certification runs from the building's final acceptance; for state infrastructure works, from completion of the works; for existing buildings, from acceptance of the works by the Municipal Works Department; and after an alteration or conversion of the lift, from delivery of the documents to the DOM (OGUC, Article 5.9.5).
Who is responsible?
Owners, or the administrator in buildings under the condominium regime, must prove certification and give the certifier the Lift File with the maintenance reports and earlier certifications (OGUC, Article 5.9.5; LGUC, Article 159 bis). Owners are also responsible for maintenance and must sign the relevant contracts (LGUC, Article 159 bis). Filing the certificate with the DOM falls to the owner or the administrator (OGUC, Article 5.9.5).
If the deadline passes
The Municipal Works Department may check that buildings have the maintenance and certification required by Article 5.9.5; if they do not, the final paragraph of LGUC Article 159 bis applies, which refers to the fines in Articles 20 and 21 of that law against the owner (OGUC, Article 5.2.9; LGUC, Article 159 bis). Failure to file the certificate on time must be reported by the DOM to the Local Police Court (LGUC, Article 159 bis; OGUC, Article 5.9.5). If the certifier finds that the installation is not fit to keep operating, the owner or administrator must take it out of service until a new certification (OGUC, Article 5.9.5).
Each installation has its own certification month
A certificate is issued for each lift, goods lift and escalator or moving walk, and both the certificate and the seal state the month and year of the next certification (OGUC, Article 5.9.5). In a building with several installations, or a housing building certified every 2 years, it is best to record each unit separately with the date shown on its seal.
Tracking it with ExpirySuite
- Add each lift, goods lift or escalator and record as the expiry date the month and year of the next certification shown on its seal or certificate.
- Email reminders arrive 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before expiry and on the expiry day, leaving time to book the certifier and gather the Lift File.
- The building administrator or the certifier can upload the new certificate and the DOM filing receipt through a secure link that is valid for 14 days and needs no account.
- Assign a responsible person, such as the building administrator; if the certification is overdue, managers get further reminders 3, 7 and 14 days later.
Frequently asked questions
- How often must a lift be certified in Chile?
- It depends on building use and transport capacity: every 2 years for housing, every year for facilities, and for residential uses other than housing, productive activities and infrastructure every 2 years up to 8% transport capacity and every year above 8% (OGUC, Article 5.9.5).
- Who can issue the certificate?
- A person or company listed in the Certifiers category of the register created by Law 20.296, kept by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (OGUC, Article 5.9.5; Law 20.296, Article 3).
- What is the deadline for filing the certificate with the municipality?
- It must be filed with the Municipal Works Department before the installation's certification deadline expires and within 30 days of the date of issue (OGUC, Article 5.9.5).
- How often must maintenance be done?
- At least once a month, by a registered maintainer, following the manufacturer's annual maintenance plan and logged on a visible annual chart (OGUC, Article 5.9.5).
Sources
- Decreto 47 de 1992, Ministerio de Vivienda y Urbanismo, Ordenanza General de Urbanismo y Construcciones: artículos 5.2.9 y 5.9.5 (LeyChile, BCN)
- DFL 458 de 1975, Ley General de Urbanismo y Construcciones: artículo 159 bis (LeyChile, BCN)
- Ley 20.296, instalación, mantención e inspección periódica de los ascensores: artículos 1, 3 y 4 (LeyChile, BCN)
Last checked: Oct 11, 2026 · This page summarises official sources for general information and is not legal advice. Check the linked sources for current rules and fees.
Made for lift, goods lift and escalator certification (Chile)
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Reminders on time
Email alerts at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before each lift, goods lift and escalator certification (Chile) expires, plus overdue escalation to managers.
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Give each lift, goods lift and escalator certification (Chile) an owner and let employees update their own via a secure link — no login needed.