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ADA platform lift requirements: where a wheelchair lift is allowed, its size and its doors

A platform lift, often sold as a wheelchair lift, carries a person in a wheelchair, or someone standing, up or down a change in level on a platform. The 2010 ADA Standards list it among the parts an accessible route can be made of, next to ramps and elevators (2010 ADA Standards, 402.2). In an existing building a platform lift may be part of that route, but in new construction it is allowed only in the cases section 206.7 lists (2010 ADA Standards, 206.7). Section 410 then sets how the lift works: no attendant, a clear floor space, a small gap at the sill, controls within reach and power-operated doors or gates. These are the rules, each with its section, plus the platform sizes the U.S. Access Board gives for each door layout (U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, platform lift clear floor space and doors/gates).

This is a summary. The official 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design are the reference.

Where the ADA allows a platform lift instead of a ramp or an elevator

The answer depends on whether the building is new. In an existing building or facility, a platform lift is permitted as a component of an accessible route. In new construction, it is permitted only in the ten cases below (2010 ADA Standards, 206.7):

Where a platform lift may be part of an accessible route in new construction, under section 206.7 of the 2010 ADA Standards.
Case What the lift may serve Section
Performance areas and speakers’ platforms the route to a stage or a speakers’ platform 2010 ADA Standards, 206.7.1
Wheelchair spaces the route needed to meet the dispersion and line-of-sight rules for wheelchair spaces in assembly areas, sections 221 and 802 2010 ADA Standards, 206.7.2
Incidental spaces spaces that are not public use spaces and are occupied by five persons at most 2010 ADA Standards, 206.7.3
Judicial spaces jury boxes and witness stands; judges’ benches and clerks’, bailiffs’, deputy clerks’ and court reporters’ stations; and depressed areas such as the well of a court 2010 ADA Standards, 206.7.4
Existing site constraints any route, where existing exterior site constraints make a ramp or an elevator infeasible 2010 ADA Standards, 206.7.5
Guest rooms and dwelling units levels within hotel guest rooms with mobility features (806.2) and within dwelling units with mobility features (809.2 to 809.4) 2010 ADA Standards, 206.7.6
Amusement rides load and unload areas 2010 ADA Standards, 206.7.7
Play areas play components and soft contained play structures 2010 ADA Standards, 206.7.8
Team or player seating team or player seating areas serving an area of sport activity 2010 ADA Standards, 206.7.9
Boating facilities and fishing piers used instead of gangways that are part of the accessible route 2010 ADA Standards, 206.7.10

The site constraint case is the one most often misread. The advisory note says it covers topography or similar existing site constraints that leave a platform lift as the only feasible alternative. The constraint has to be outside, but the lift itself can go inside: a new building squeezed between two existing ones, without room to match floor levels and also ramp up from the public way, may use an exterior or interior lift for its entrance or between its floors (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 206.7.5).

Two notes point the other way. For player seating, the advisory still recommends ramps even though lifts are allowed (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 206.7.9). And for alterations, the Access Board advises using platform lifts only where a ramp or an elevator is technically infeasible, or in the places allowed in new construction (U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, where platform lifts are permitted). Where a lift is allowed, a limited-use/limited-application (LULA) elevator complying with section 408 is permitted too (2010 ADA Standards, 206.6, exception 1); passenger elevators are in ADA elevator requirements. If a ramp fits after all, the ADA ramp calculator works out its length for a given rise.

What counts as a platform lift, and what does not

Section 410 points to ASME A18.1, the safety standard for platform lifts and stairway chairlifts. That standard sorts lifts into vertical platform lifts, inclined platform lifts and inclined stairway chairlifts, each also in a private residence version (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 105.2.2). The ADA does not accept all of them:

How the codes of Spain, Chile and Peru treat vertical platforms, inclined platforms and stair chairs is in the Spanish guide Plataforma salvaescaleras.

No attendant: a lift you operate on your own

Platform lifts are not attendant-operated and they provide unassisted entry and exit (2010 ADA Standards, 410.1). ASME A18.1 recognizes attendant operation, but the ADA Standards expressly prohibit it (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 105.2.2). The same rule decides locking. A lift that stays locked, so that you have to ask for a key or go and fetch one, does not meet the requirement for independent operation; a lift may be locked only while the space or facility it serves is closed (U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, common questions).

The controls follow section 309 (2010 ADA Standards, 410.5). Each control has a clear floor space complying with section 305 (2010 ADA Standards, 309.2), and sits within the reach ranges (2010 ADA Standards, 309.3): with an unobstructed forward or side reach, between 15 and 48 inches (380–1220 mm) above the floor (2010 ADA Standards, 308.2.1 and 308.3.1). It works with one hand, without tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist, and with 5 pounds (22.2 N) of force at most (2010 ADA Standards, 309.4). The advisory on ASME A18.1 notes that its maximum height for operable parts matches section 308 (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 105.2.2). Reach over an obstruction is in ADA reach range.

Platform size: 36 inches wide, 48 or 60 inches long

The 2010 Standards size the platform through one cross-reference: its clear floor space complies with section 305 (2010 ADA Standards, 410.3). That is a space at least 30 by 48 inches (760 × 1220 mm), with no changes in level (2010 ADA Standards, 305.2 and 305.3). The Access Board’s guide to the Standards gives the platform sizes by door layout, and they are larger:

Platform lift clear floor space and door widths by door layout.
Door layout Platform clear floor space Door or gate clear width Source
Doors or gates on the narrow ends only 36 inches (915 mm) wide by 48 inches (1220 mm) long minimum 32 inches (815 mm) minimum at each end U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, platform lift clear floor space and doors/gates; 2010 ADA Standards, 410.6
A door or gate on the long side 36 inches (915 mm) wide by 60 inches (1525 mm) long minimum, for side-approach maneuvering 32 inches (815 mm) minimum at the end, 42 inches (1065 mm) minimum at the side U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, platform lift clear floor space and doors/gates; 2010 ADA Standards, 410.6
The Standards’ own minimum 30 by 48 inches (760 × 1220 mm), no changes in level see the doors section below 2010 ADA Standards, 410.3, 305.2 and 305.3

The 42 inches of the side layout is the width of the side door, not of the platform: the platform stays 36 inches wide and gets longer, because a wheelchair has to turn on it to roll out the side (U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, platform lift clear floor space and doors/gates).

The floor of the platform follows the same rules as any floor on an accessible route (2010 ADA Standards, 410.2). It is stable, firm and slip resistant (2010 ADA Standards, 302.1). A change in level up to 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) may be vertical, one from 1/4 to 1/2 inch (13 mm) is beveled no steeper than 1:2, and anything higher is ramped (2010 ADA Standards, 303.2, 303.3 and 303.4).

At the landing, the gap between the platform sill and the edge of the runway landing is 1 inch (32 mm) maximum, as the Standards print it (2010 ADA Standards, 410.4); 32 mm is about 1 1/4 inches, the figure the Access Board’s guide uses, and it adds that ASME A18.1 specifies 3/8 to 3/4 inch (U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, requirements for platform lifts). That gap is one of the listed exceptions to the general rule that openings in a floor do not let a 1/2-inch (13 mm) sphere through (2010 ADA Standards, 302.3).

Doors and gates: power-operated, open for 20 seconds

  • Power-operated. Platform lifts have low-energy power-operated doors or gates complying with section 404.3 (2010 ADA Standards, 410.6), which sends low-energy doors to the ANSI/BHMA A156.19 standard, 1997 or 2002 edition (2010 ADA Standards, 404.3).
  • Open time. Doors stay open for 20 seconds minimum (2010 ADA Standards, 410.6). A passenger elevator door works differently: it stays fully open for at least 3 seconds in response to a call, and the 20 seconds is the minimum for platform lift doors and gates, LULA swing doors and private residence elevator doors (U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, common questions).
  • Width. End doors and gates give a clear width of 32 inches (815 mm) minimum; side doors and gates, 42 inches (1065 mm) minimum (2010 ADA Standards, 410.6 and Figure 410.6).
  • The exception. A lift that serves two landings at most, with its doors or gates on opposite sides, may have self-closing manual doors or gates instead (2010 ADA Standards, 410.6, exception). A lift where you enter on one side and leave on an adjacent one, or that stops at three levels, keeps the power-operated doors.

Clear width at an ordinary doorway, and how to measure it, is in ADA door width.

ASME A18.1, headroom, standby power and upkeep

Platform lifts comply with ASME A18.1, 1999 or 2003 edition, which the Standards incorporate by reference (2010 ADA Standards, 410.1 and 105.2.2). A later edition can be used only under equivalent facilitation, section 103, and only if it is comparable to or stricter than the referenced one (U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, ASME A18.1 safety standard). We did not read ASME A18.1, which is sold by ASME, so this guide gives only what the ADA and the Access Board say about it. According to the ADA advisory, it covers runways, runway enclosures, electrical equipment and wiring, structural support, headroom of 80 inches minimum, lower-level access ramps and pits; on platform lifts, enclosure walls not used for entry or exit have a grab bar the full length of the wall; and each type of lift has requirements for capacity, load, speed, travel, operating devices and control equipment (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 105.2.2).

Headroom matters for the route as a whole. An accessible route needs 80 inches (2030 mm) of vertical clearance (2010 ADA Standards, 307.4), so a lift without it cannot be part of an accessible route in new construction, and the advisory warns that lifts are not all equally suited to wheelchair users and to people standing (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 410.1).

Where the building code lets a platform lift serve as part of an accessible means of egress, it has standby power (2010 ADA Standards, 207.2). And the lift has to keep working: the ADA requires accessible features to be maintained, ASME A18.1 requires routine maintenance and inspections, and while short interruptions for repairs may be unavoidable, failing to act promptly could be a violation (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 410.1).

How to check a platform lift

If you manage a building with a lift, or you are about to rely on one, these checks take a few minutes with a tape measure and a watch:

  1. Use it alone. Call it, ride it and get off without staff and without asking for a key (2010 ADA Standards, 410.1; U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, common questions).
  2. Measure the platform. 36 inches wide, and 48 inches long with doors on the ends or 60 inches with a door on the side (U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, platform lift clear floor space and doors/gates).
  3. Measure the doors. 32 inches clear at an end door, 42 inches at a side door (2010 ADA Standards, 410.6).
  4. Time the door. It opens by power and stays open at least 20 seconds, unless the lift has two landings and doors on opposite sides (2010 ADA Standards, 410.6 and exception).
  5. Try the controls. Between 15 and 48 inches above the floor, usable with one hand and 5 pounds of force at most (2010 ADA Standards, 410.5, 308.2.1, 308.3.1 and 309.4).
  6. Look at the sill. A gap of 1 inch (32 mm) at most between the platform and the landing, and a platform floor that is firm, stable and slip resistant (2010 ADA Standards, 410.4, 410.2 and 302.1).
  7. Look up. In new construction, 80 inches of vertical clearance along the route (2010 ADA Standards, 307.4 and advisory 410.1).

A lift that passes all seven is still one piece of the route: the door at the top, the turning space and the restroom count too. For what the ADA asks of a business in general, see ADA compliance.

Lifts in Braillito Maps

Braillito Maps is a community map where each place answers ten questions: step-free entrance or ramp, wide doorway, accessible restroom, accessible parking, tactile paving, braille signage, braille menu, audible signals, guide dogs welcome and a quiet environment. Each question is answered yes or no, or stays without data until someone knows. A place’s score is the number of yes answers out of ten, and its color always appears next to the number, never on its own.

A platform lift is not one of the ten questions. The nearest are the step-free entrance or ramp and the wide doorway, which say whether you can get in at all. A lift that needs a key from the front desk, or a door that closes before you roll on, can leave the answer to the first one in doubt.

So when you add a place with a lift, answer the questions you checked yourself, and use the list above for the rest: whether the lift worked, whether you used it alone and whether the doors were wide enough. If what a place says turns out to be wrong, it can be reported. Meet Braillito Maps.

Frequently asked questions

Does the ADA allow a wheelchair lift instead of a ramp?

In an existing building, yes: a platform lift may be part of the accessible route. In new construction, only in the cases listed in section 206.7, such as stages, courtrooms, wheelchair spaces, small non-public spaces and sites where existing exterior constraints make a ramp or an elevator infeasible (2010 ADA Standards, 206.7 and 206.7.1 to 206.7.10).

What size does an ADA platform lift need?

The Standards require a clear floor space of at least 30 by 48 inches (760 × 1220 mm) (2010 ADA Standards, 410.3 and 305.3). The Access Board’s guide gives 36 by 48 inches with doors on the narrow ends only, and 36 by 60 inches with a door on the long side (U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, platform lift clear floor space and doors/gates).

How wide is the door of an ADA platform lift?

End doors and gates are 32 inches (815 mm) clear minimum and side doors and gates 42 inches (1065 mm). They are low-energy power-operated and stay open at least 20 seconds, except on a lift with two landings at most and doors on opposite sides, which may use self-closing manual ones (2010 ADA Standards, 410.6 and exception).

Can an ADA platform lift need a key or an attendant?

No. Platform lifts are not attendant-operated and provide unassisted entry and exit (2010 ADA Standards, 410.1). A lift that stays locked until you ask for a key does not meet that rule; it may be locked only while the space it serves is closed (U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, common questions).

Is a stair chairlift ADA compliant?

Not as part of an accessible route: a chairlift has a seat and no platform, so the rider has to transfer, and the Standards do not permit it (2010 ADA Standards, advisory 105.2.2). At pools and spas a different lift without a platform is allowed: the pool lift of section 1009.2, with a fixed seat and footrests (U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, ASME A18.1 safety standard); see ADA pool lift requirements.

Which safety standard applies to ADA platform lifts?

ASME A18.1, 1999 or 2003 edition (2010 ADA Standards, 410.1 and 105.2.2). A later edition may be used only as equivalent facilitation, if it is comparable to or stricter than those (U.S. Access Board guide to elevators and platform lifts, ASME A18.1 safety standard).

More accessibility guides

  • ADA elevator requirements: car dimensions, door width and timing, call button height, audible and visible signals, and braille on the jambs and buttons.
  • ADA ramp slope: the 1:12 rule, width, landings, handrails and edge protection.
  • ADA door width: 32 inches of clear width, maneuvering space, thresholds, hardware and opening force.
  • ADA reach range: forward and side reach, with and without an obstruction, and where the 15 to 48 inch range applies: switches, outlets and controls.
  • ADA pool lift requirements: how many means of entry a pool needs, and the seat, height, capacity and controls of a pool lift.
  • ADA compliance: a checklist for small businesses, with the 2010 Standards section behind each item.
  • ADA hotel rooms: how many accessible rooms and roll-in showers a hotel needs, rooms for deaf and hard of hearing guests, and what each room has inside.
  • All accessibility guides

Sources

Every figure in this guide comes from one of these official texts, which we read in October 2026.

  1. 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. U.S. Department of Justice, published September 15, 2010; required for new work since March 15, 2012.
  2. Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards, Chapter 4: Elevators and Platform Lifts. U.S. Access Board, read October 2026.

Braillito Maps

Find places with ramps, accessible toilets or tactile paving near you in Braillito Maps

In Braillito Maps, every place answers ten questions. One is the ramp: whether you can get in without steps, by ramp or at street level. It is built by the people who need it, and every place gets a score out of ten.

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