The invention discloses an emergency braking device for an elevator. The device comprises an elevator car, a traction steel rope is fixedly connected to the top of the elevator car, the part, on the two sides of the traction steel rope, of the top of the elevator car are fixedly connected with heightening blocks, sensing devices are arranged above the heightening blocks, the two sides of the elevator car are provided with braking positioning devices, and the braking positioning devices are installed in elevator shafts; and each sensing device comprises a first round pipe, the bottom of each first round pipe is fixedly connected to one corresponding heightening block, round rods are inserted into the first round pipes, one end of each round rod extends to one side of the traction steel rope, the end, close to the traction steel rope, of each round rod is movably connected with a rolling wheel, each rolling wheel is tangent to the traction steel rope, and a baffle sleeves the rod wall ofthe end, close to the traction steel rope, of each round rod. According to the emergency braking device for the elevator, the falling potential energy of the elevator car is buffered through a top end buffering device and a bottom buffering device, and the elevator car is stopped finally, and casualties caused by immediate falling of the car are avoided.