Public Safety Program

Amusement ride inspections and QSI certifications

Temporary (portable) amusement rides (TAR)

In 1969, the Amusement Rides Safety Law (Labor Code Section 7900 et seq., the text of which is available from the Legislature's web site), took effect in California for the first time, providing for the inspection of temporary amusement rides (TAR). Shortly thereafter, Title 8 regulations were adopted by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health and the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to enforce the statute. The TAR regulations are located in the General Industry Safety Orders under Article 35, Amusement Rides, Sections 3900-3920.

The TAR Safety Inspection Program is administered by the division’s Elevator, Ride and Tramway Unit. Each year all owners of temporary amusement rides who intend to operate within the state of California are required to submit by March 1 an application form (115KB, pdf) doc for a permit to operate, an itinerary form (56KB, pdf) doc indicating where they will be operating during the current ride season, and a ride list form (36KB, pdf) doc listing the rides they will operate for the season. For information about the TAR program please read the TAR circular letters.

Permanent amusement rides (PAR)

In 2000, a new law took effect in California (AB 850), establishing the Permanent Amusement Ride (PAR) Safety Inspection Program. Go to the Legislature's web site for the text of Labor Code Section 7920 et seq. You may also read Labor Code Section 7900 et seq and Labor Code Section 7920 et seq by clicking on the links.

Like the TAR Safety Inspection Program, the PAR Safety Inspection Program is administered by the Elevator, Ride and Tramway Unit. Establishment of this new program represented a significant expansion of the division's jurisdiction. As a result, the division now is responsible for conducting safety inspections of all amusement rides operated in California.

The division and the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board have developed regulations to implement the PAR Program. These regulations are of two kinds: 1) Administrative (adopted by the division, operative 10-30-2001); and 2) Technical (adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, operative 7/12/2003). Ride owners and operators should make themselves familiar and must comply with both sets of regulations.

For circular letters, please go to http://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/AmusementRides/par_circular_letters.htm.

Information about course approvals, QSI certification and owner's certificates of compliance related to the new PAR program is available.

Two amusement ride district offices have been established, one in Southern California (Anaheim) and one in Northern California (Sacramento). The office in Anaheim carries out the responsibilities of the new PAR program in Southern California. The office in Sacramento carries out the responsibilities of the new PAR program in Northern California and the TAR program for the entire state. To contact these amusement ride offices for more information on the amusement ride programs, to file a complaint, or to report an accident, see the information below:

Effective June 30, 2003 no conveyance covered by Part 3, Chapter 2 of the California Labor Code shall be erected, constructed, installed, materially altered, tested, maintained, repaired, or serviced by any person, firm, or corporation unless the person, firm, or corporation is certified by the division. In addition, as of the same day, any person who erects, constructs, installs, alters, tests, maintains, services or repairs, removes, or dismantles any such conveyance without supervision must be certified by the division as a certified competent conveyance (elevator) mechanic.

Interested parties can download the application for certified qualified conveyance company (372KB, pdf format), doc, certified qualified conveyance company renewal (96KB, pdf format), doc, certified competent conveyance (elevator) mechanic (164KB, pdf format), doc, certified competent conveyance (elevator) mechanic renewal (88KB, pdf format), doc, and temporary certified competent conveyance mechanic (.99MB, pdf format), doc complete the application and submit it to the division for processing.

Click on the following links for information about variance requests, the Elevator Safety Code, circular letters, approved devices, solid state controllers, suggested letter of intent (.pdf format 8.06kb) or frequently asked questions.

The Elevator Safety Orders generally do not apply to elevators in single-unit private homes. (Labor Code Section 7317)

San Bernadino district office
464 W. Fourth Street, suite 325
San Bernadino, CA 92401
(909) 889-6395
fax (909) 889-8074
Joseph Strzelec, senior engineer