NEC Adoption by State
Use this NEC adoption by state lookup for all 50 states and DC, with source checks dated September 29, 2026. Cities, counties and some building types can follow a different edition, so the "What to know" column flags the splits.
| State or district | NEC edition or code route | Date and what it means | What to know | Next change documented here | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2020 (DCM-covered buildings) | July 1, 2022 (DCM code) | DCM covers state-owned or state-funded buildings, public and private K–12 schools, public colleges, hotels and motels, and movie theaters. Other projects need the applicable residential or local authority—not a blanket assumption that this row governs. | — | Alabama DCM adopted codes |
| Alaska | 2020 | Not stated in the cited current-code list | Alaska Labor lists the 2020 NEC under 8 AAC 70.025. Its Mechanical Inspection program describes the buildings and installations it inspects. | — | Alaska Labor: Mechanical Inspection |
| Arizona | Local example: Phoenix 2023 | Aug. 1, 2025 (Phoenix) | Phoenix enforces the 2023 NEC as part of its code package. That is a city example, not an Arizona-wide edition; use the project's city, county or other permitting authority. | — | Phoenix adopted building codes |
| Arkansas | 2026 | Sept. 3, 2026 | Arkansas amendments change some dwelling arc-fault and ground-fault protection rules (AFCI/GFCI) and the island/peninsula receptacle rules. | — | 17 CAR § 210-601 |
| California | 2023 | Jan. 1, 2026 | Adopted as the 2025 California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3) with state amendments. The "2025" is the code's name, not the NEC edition. Local amendments must meet California's legal requirements. | — | 2025 California Electrical Code amendments |
| Colorado | 2026 | Aug. 1, 2026 (implementation notice) | The state rule itself took effect July 15, 2026. Denver's official notice reports the state's 2026 NEC implementation from August 1 and applies it to Denver projects submitted from that date. | — | Colorado rulemaking docket; Denver implementation notice |
| Connecticut | 2020 | Oct. 1, 2022 (permit applications) | Part of the 2022 Connecticut State Building Code, with state amendments. | 2026 state package, based on the 2023 NEC, delayed; no new effective date announced on the adoption page. | 2022 Connecticut State Building Code; Code-adoption process |
| Delaware | 2023 | Jan. 1, 2026 | Adopted through the State Fire Prevention Regulations. The implementation notice covers projects submitted on or after December 31, 2025; that submission trigger differs from the January 1 rule date. | — | Delaware State Fire Marshal notice |
| District of Columbia | 2014 | May 29, 2020 | Part of the 2017 DC Construction Codes, as amended. | — | DC Dept. of Buildings |
| Florida | 2020 | Dec. 31, 2023 | Through the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023). Ocoee's implementation notice lists the 2020 NEC and the December 31, 2023 permit-application boundary. | — | Ocoee: Florida codes in effect |
| Georgia | 2023 | Jan. 1, 2026 (current amendment package) | Georgia amendments were revised Jan. 1, 2026. | Two Article 517 health-care amendments take effect Jan. 1, 2027; the NEC base stays 2023. | Georgia DCA amendment packet; Georgia current minimum codes |
| Hawaii | 2020 | March 15, 2022 (state adoption) | The state adopted the 2020 NEC with amendments. The adopting document gave counties until March 14, 2024 to adopt or follow the state code. Check the county's amendments and project authority; an old transition does not establish a continuing right to use an older edition. | — | Hawaii State Electrical Code adoption |
| Idaho | 2023 | April 4, 2025 (current rule version) | With Idaho amendments. Section 600.01 identifies the 2023 NEC; the date here identifies the cited rule version, not the first day Idaho adopted that edition. | — | Idaho Electrical Rules § 600 |
| Illinois | Local / state-scope requirements | Jan. 1, 2025 (state-law requirements) | Local codes coexist with state requirements. For covered state-funded work and new or substantially improved commercial buildings where no local building code applies, the state specifies the current or immediately preceding NEC edition. This is not "no statewide code." | — | Illinois CDB: building-code requirements |
| Indiana | 2008 | Aug. 26, 2009 | Commercial buildings, under the Indiana Electrical Code (2009 edition). One- and two-family homes follow the Indiana Residential Code. | — | Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission rules |
| Iowa | 2023 | June 2, 2026 (amendment change) | House File 2800 removed the administrative amendments in 481 IAC 404.3 on June 2, 2026. Statutory exceptions and amendments remain, so Iowa does not use an unmodified 2023 NEC. | — | Iowa DIAL electrical-code update |
| Kansas | 2008 in State Fire Marshal rule; local routes | Feb. 4, 2011 (rule amendment) | K.A.R. 22-1-3(n) incorporates the 2008 NEC for the State Fire Marshal's code. That does not establish the edition for every city or county project. | — | K.A.R. 22-1-3 (LII reproduction); Kansas Fire Marshal regulations |
| Kentucky | 2023 | Jan. 1, 2025 | This is the date mandatory enforcement began. Some residential GFCI provisions are still delayed. | — | Kentucky DHBC announcement; July 15, 2026 residential update |
| Louisiana | 2020 | Aug. 1, 2026 (current compilation) | Louisiana's current rule compilation adopts the 2020 NEC in § 115 and includes Louisiana amendments. The compilation date is not an initial-adoption or permit-submission date. | — | Louisiana code rules § 115 |
| Maine | 2026 | July 1, 2026 | Applies to installations that start on or after that date. Maine amendments apply. | — | Maine Electricians' Examining Board |
| Maryland | 2020 for named state routes; local / fire-code routes | March 18, 2026 (state matrix date) | Labor's matrix lists the 2020 NEC for modular and state-owned buildings, plus county and Baltimore City adoption routes. For State Fire Prevention Code work, the current COMAR rule incorporates NFPA 1 and NFPA 101 (2024); do not treat the matrix as one statewide NEC edition. | — | Maryland building-code matrix; Current fire-code incorporation |
| Massachusetts | State package: 2026 Massachusetts Electrical Code | April 24, 2026 (enforcement notice) | Southborough's official notice confirms enforcement of the 2026 Massachusetts Electrical Code from this date. This entry identifies the state package; it does not assign a separate NEC base edition. | — | Southborough electrical-code notice |
| Michigan | 2023 | March 12, 2024 | This is the Michigan Electrical Code (Part 8). One- and two-family homes follow the separate Michigan Residential Code; LARA's current code list still identifies its 2015 edition. | — | Michigan LARA code books |
| Minnesota | 2026 | Aug. 17, 2026 | Applies to permits filed on or after that date. Permits filed earlier stay on the 2023 NEC. | — | Minnesota DLI electrical codes |
| Mississippi | Local / building-specific code routes | July 1, 2024 (state fire-code package) | Cities and counties have code-adoption authority, while the State Fire Marshal has a separate route for specified buildings and lists the 2024 International Building and Fire Codes. Confirm the electrical reference for the project's actual authority; "local" does not mean no state requirements. | — | Mississippi Fire Code Enforcement; Miss. Code § 17-2-3 (reproduction) |
| Missouri | Local / project-specific; FMDC design route | June 2017 (FMDC guideline date) | The cited FMDC guidelines require the latest NEC for projects designed through FMDC. That is a specific state-project design route, not proof of one code for all Missouri projects or all state-funded construction. Check local adoption for other work. | — | Missouri FMDC design guidelines |
| Montana | 2023 | Sept. 26, 2026 | Montana's current-codes page lists the 2023 NEC with Montana amendments. | — | Montana DLI current codes |
| Nebraska | 2023 | Aug. 1, 2024 | Adopted through the State Electrical Act. Use the Nebraska act and applicable amendments with the NEC, not the model edition alone. | — | Nebraska Electrical Division adoption notice |
| Nevada | Local example: Clark County 2023 | Jan. 11, 2026 (Clark County) | Clark County uses the 2023 NEC with local amendments. This is a county example, not a Nevada-wide rule; confirm the code for the city, county or state project authority handling the permit. | — | Clark County NEC amendments |
| New Hampshire | 2023 | July 1, 2026 (current building-code package) | Gilmanton's current state-code notice lists the 2023 NEC alongside the 2024 International Codes. Its July 2026 package date is not presented here as the first adoption of the 2023 NEC. | — | Gilmanton: state-code implementation |
| New Jersey | 2023 | Aug. 17, 2026 | A six-month grace period allows qualifying complete permit applications, including all prior approvals, to be reviewed under the 2020 NEC. Applications already under review have separate protection under the same rule. | Six-month prior-code grace period follows the Aug. 17, 2026 operative date; see N.J.A.C. 5:23-1.6. | New Jersey DCA current codes; N.J.A.C. 5:23-1.6 grace rule |
| New Mexico | 2020 | March 28, 2023 | The rule is named the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code and is based on the 2020 NEC. March 2023 is its effective date—not the name of a "2023 New Mexico Electrical Code." | — | 14.10.4 NMAC |
| New York | 2023 outside NYC; 2020 in NYC | Dec. 31, 2025 (state); Dec. 21, 2025 (NYC) | This is the statewide Uniform Code, outside New York City. NYC has its own code based on the 2020 NEC, fully in effect since Dec. 21, 2025. | — | NY Dept. of State notice of adoption; DOS referenced-standard response; NYC Electrical Code |
| North Carolina | 2020; 2017 for the residential-code scope | Nov. 1, 2021 | One- and two-family homes, qualifying townhouses up to three stories, and qualifying accessory structures under the residential code still use the 2017 NEC with North Carolina amendments. | 2023 State Electrical Code implementation remains delayed under state law. | NC Office of State Fire Marshal; Residential-scope interpretation |
| North Dakota | 2026 | July 1, 2026 | With North Dakota amendments. | — | North Dakota 2026 standards |
| Ohio | 2023 (Dayton's current-code list) | Not stated for NEC in the cited list | Dayton lists the 2023 NEC and separate Ohio building and residential codes. Its page does not supply separate NEC effective dates for the two routes; confirm the applicable transition with the enforcing department. | — | Dayton: state and national codes |
| Oklahoma | 2023 | Sept. 14, 2024 | Statewide minimum code with Oklahoma amendments. | — | Oklahoma CIB notice |
| Oregon | 2023 | Oct. 1, 2023 | This is the 2023 Oregon Electrical Specialty Code. | 2026 OESC adoption anticipated Oct. 1, 2026; not treated here as a final effective rule. | Oregon Building Codes Division; 2026 OESC adoption process |
| Pennsylvania | 2020 | Jan. 1, 2026 | The Uniform Construction Code adopted the 2021 International Codes, which reference the 2020 NEC. Transition rules still matter: Philadelphia requires the new cycle for complete applications from July 1, 2026. | The 2024 code cycle is under advisory council review; no new NEC effective date assigned here. | Pennsylvania L&I Review & Advisory Council; Philadelphia implementation bulletin B-2501 |
| Rhode Island | 2023 | Dec. 1, 2025 | This is the SBC-5 Rhode Island Electrical Code, with state amendments. | — | 510-RICR-00-00-5 |
| South Carolina | 2020 | Jan. 1, 2023 | With South Carolina modifications. | — | South Carolina Building Codes Council |
| South Dakota | 2023 | Nov. 12, 2024 | Applies to permits received on or after that date. | — | South Dakota Electrical Commission |
| Tennessee | 2017 | March 19, 2018 (state rule effective) | The State Fire Marshal's code history identifies the 2017 NEC. Establish whether the state program or a local program is the enforcing authority for the project. | — | Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office |
| Texas | 2026 | Sept. 1, 2026 | With a limited GFCI exception. | — | TDLR adoption notice |
| Utah | 2023 | Initial NEC-adoption date not stated in the cited chapter | Utah incorporates the 2023 NEC with state and authorized local amendments. The same chapter separately adopts the International Residential Code; identify the applicable building-code route rather than assuming one unamended NEC governs every project. | — | Utah Code § 15A-2-103 |
| Vermont | 2023 | November 2025 (implementation notice) | This is the 2025 Vermont Electrical Safety Rules, with state amendments. The state's rulemaking record says these rules do not generally apply to owner-occupied single-family homes or working farms. | — | Vermont adopted-rule record 25P023; Burlington adopted-code notice |
| Virginia | 2020 | Jan. 18, 2024 | Through the 2021 Uniform Statewide Building Code. | — | Virginia referenced standards; Virginia effective-date history |
| Washington | 2023 | April 1, 2024 | Some cities run their own electrical programs. | 2026 NEC on Dec. 31, 2026 (already written into the rule). | WAC 296-46B-010 |
| West Virginia | 2020 | Aug. 1, 2022 | This is the State Building Code. Counties and cities may adopt and enforce it. | 2023 NEC appears in a proposed replacement rule; not yet effective. | Current West Virginia 87 CSR 4; Replacement-rule status |
| Wisconsin | 2023 | Sept. 1, 2026 | It replaced the 2017 NEC. Wisconsin's September 1, 2026 announcement confirms the new code took effect that day; state changes and omissions apply. | — | Wisconsin DSPS September 1 notice |
| Wyoming | 2026 | Not stated in the agency's NEC listing | The state lists the 2026 NEC as current. The agency's NEC listing does not state an NEC-specific effective date. | — | Wyoming Electrical Safety |
Download the complete 51-jurisdiction CSV
Castleport Test Prep Editorial Team · Source checks: September 29, 2026.
How to read this table: An effective date, a permit trigger and a document's publication date are different things; the date column labels which one is shown. "—" means no separate next change is documented in this table, not that no rulemaking exists. A city example is not a statewide adoption, and a state code-package year is not automatically its NEC base edition. This is a 51-jurisdiction reference, not an inventory of every local ordinance or a claim that each jurisdiction uses one edition.
If another adoption list disagrees with this table, open the row's source link and compare its authority, building scope, edition and effective date. A summary page does not override the applicable rule or your project's transition provisions.
Changes already scheduled
These changes have stated future effective dates in the linked rule or amendment text:
| Date | State | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 31, 2026 | Washington | 2023 → 2026 NEC, already adopted in WAC 296-46B-010. |
| Jan. 1, 2027 | Georgia | Two Article 517 health-care amendments take effect. The state stays on the 2023 NEC. See the Georgia amendment packet, Article 517.40(A) and 517.45(F). |
New Jersey's prior-code grace period: N.J.A.C. 5:23-1.6 allows qualifying complete permit applications, including all prior approvals, to be reviewed under the previous code during the six months following the operative date. The new electrical subcode's operative date is August 17, 2026. The rule also protects qualifying applications already under review. Do not treat an incomplete filing as enough to secure the old code.
Anticipated, proposed or delayed changes
- Oregon: The 2026 OESC adoption page describes October 1, 2026 as the anticipated adoption date. That is not the same as a confirmed final effective rule; the current-code page still identifies the 2023 OESC.
- North Carolina: The state's current electrical-code page reports that implementation of the 2023 code remains delayed under state law. It is not the current edition for this table.
- Connecticut: The 2026 State Building Code (2023 NEC) was expected July 1, 2026. It has been delayed, and no new date has been set on the state adoption page.
- West Virginia: A proposed replacement for 87 CSR 4 would move to the 2023 NEC. Its in-progress status does not replace the effective rule.
- Pennsylvania: The 2024 code cycle is under advisory council review. No new NEC effective date is assigned here.
Which NEC edition applies to my project?
Start with the project's address and the office that issues the electrical permit, not just the state. Your city, the building type, and the date that triggers a new code can all change the answer.
Run these four checks:
| Check | What to find out | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Who has jurisdiction | Project address; city or county; the agency that issues the electrical permit or inspects | The Phoenix and Clark County entries are local examples, while New York City has a different NEC base from the New York State Uniform Code. Use the linked jurisdiction sources above. |
| 2. What kind of building | One- or two-family home, townhouse, multifamily, commercial, state-owned; new work or alteration | North Carolina's residential-code scope uses the 2017 NEC, while other covered work uses the 2020 NEC. Michigan also has a separate residential-code route. |
| 3. Which adopted code | The full code title, its NEC base edition, and the state or local amendment document | The year in a code's name can differ from the NEC edition. California's 2025 code is based on the 2023 NEC. New Mexico's rule is named the 2020 New Mexico Electrical Code, although it took effect in 2023. |
| 4. Which date controls | The event that triggers the new edition, plus any grace period | Minnesota uses permits filed, Maine uses installations starting, South Dakota uses permits received, and New Jersey has a six-month grace period with application-completeness conditions. |
Ask the permit office this:
For [project address], [building type] and [new work or alteration], which adopted electrical code and NEC edition apply? Which state or local amendments apply, and which date controls our project (permit filing, permit approval, or start of work)?
Is the adopted NEC the edition on my electrician exam?
Not necessarily. Use your licensing board's current exam notice or the reference list in your candidate bulletin. That list can change on a different date from the code in the field.
A real example: Minnesota's two dates. Minnesota's 2026 NEC applies to permits filed on or after August 17, 2026. Its licensing exams switched to the 2026 NEC on September 8, 2026, 22 days later. Someone testing on September 1, 2026 would still have been tested on the 2023 NEC, while a permit filed that day fell under the 2026 NEC.
Other states show the same pattern:
- South Dakota's code changed November 12, 2024, and its exams followed on December 2, 2024.
- Oklahoma adopted the 2023 NEC on September 14, 2024, and moved its exams on December 14, 2024.
Before you choose an exam reference: find your exam's candidate bulletin or current exam notice from your state board or testing vendor. Check the NEC edition it lists and any state amendments it adds, for the date you'll test. This adoption table is not a 50-state exam-reference list.
How NEC adoption works
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) publishes the NEC, also called NFPA 70. The 2026 edition is already in use in jurisdictions such as Maine, but publication of a new edition does not automatically replace the electrical code adopted for your project.
Adopting jurisdictions can add amendments. States move on their own schedules: the table includes 2026, 2023, 2020 and 2017 NEC routes, plus older bases in DC and Indiana. Local and building-specific routes are shown separately rather than forced into one national edition count.
Keep three dates apart:
- Adopted: when the relevant authority approves the code or rule.
- Effective: when the adoption takes legal effect.
- Enforced: when the new requirements apply to the covered work. This is sometimes tied to permits or project start.
The Colorado row illustrates why those labels matter: its rule docket gives July 15, 2026 as the rule's effective date, while Denver's official notice describes August 1 implementation. A source's revision or compilation date, such as the Louisiana document date in the table, is neither of those events unless the source says so.
How we checked this table
We checked linked adoption rules, statutes, state-code publications and official implementation notices, and recorded the edition, date and scope supported by each source. Official city notices are identified where they provide the evidence; legal text reproduced by LII or Justia is labeled as a reproduction. Local examples remain local examples. Massachusetts is listed by its confirmed state code-package name rather than an independently confirmed NEC base. Maryland's separate state, local and fire-code routes are not flattened into one edition.
Proposed and delayed changes are kept out of the current-edition column. Initial-adoption dates are not supplied where the inspected source establishes only a current edition or a later document version. These scope limits matter just as much as the year in the table.
This is a research summary, not a code inspection, legal advice or a professional engineering review. We use AI tools in research and drafting, as described in our editorial standards. The September 29, 2026 source-check date applies to the cited statements and scope shown here, not to every local ordinance, project exception or licensing examination.
Sources and disclaimer
Each row links to the evidence for that entry. The scheduled-change notes and exam examples link to their supporting notices. For a specific project, use the applicable adopting text together with its amendments and transition provisions—not the NEC model edition alone.
Castleport Test Prep is an independent exam prep publisher. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) or any state licensing or code-enforcement authority. NEC, NFPA 70 and credential names are used to identify their subjects; trademarks belong to their respective owners. This page is an educational reference. It does not determine the code for a specific project. Confirm that with the authority having jurisdiction.