National Electrical Code (NFPA 70)
Alabama enforces the 2020 NEC in state buildings only
The 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) has been in force in Alabama since Jul 1, 2022. It applies to state buildings only. Adopted by Division of Construction Management (DCM), Alabama Department of Finance. The legal citation is Ala. Admin. Code ch. 355-12-1 (per DCM bulletin); DCM Manual of Procedures ch. 2 Table 1.
Record of adoption
Edition in force
2020 NEC
2020 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), State Building Code
Verified
- In force since
- Legal citation
- Ala. Admin. Code ch. 355-12-1 (per DCM bulletin); DCM Manual of Procedures ch. 2 Table 1
- Adopted by
- Division of Construction Management (DCM), Alabama Department of Finance
- Second reading
- Applies
- State buildings only
- Also called
- Alabama State Building Code, DCM code
The rule text is on admincode.legislature.state.al.us.
Exceptions
- State Building Code applies only to state-owned or state-funded work, public and private K-12 schools, public postsecondary schools, hotels/motels and movie theaters
- DCM states it has no jurisdiction over residential property or other commercial property
How Alabama adopts the NEC
DCM revises the State Building Code by administrative rule under the Alabama Administrative Procedures Act and announces each revision by code bulletin and an updated Manual of Procedures. No statute naming an NEC edition or requiring legislative approval of DCM’s edition was found.
Cycle. irregular; prior NEC editions were 2011 (2011), 2014 (2016) and 2020 (2022)
How it was checked
Verified
Two separate readings of the state’s own record agree, and the passage is on file word for word.
Read twice: a second, blind reading of the state’s record agreed with the first on .
The state’s record was last read on , from two source pages.
Evidence 3 sources
Sources for the record itself come first, the state’s own records ahead of others. A label marks a source about something else, such as an exception. A source marked secondary is not the state’s own record.
“DCM does not have jurisdiction over residential property or commercial property”
“except for hotels/motels and movie theaters.”
State Building Code (code jurisdiction)Alabama Division of Construction Managementdcm.alabama.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved “2021 International Fire Code, with the following exceptions”
Manual of Procedures, Chapter 2 (April 2025)Alabama Division of Construction Managementdcm.alabama.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved State Building CodeAlabama Division of Construction Managementdcm.alabama.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved
Tracker cross-checks
Code adoption trackers are a cross-check. They are not Alabama’s own record.
NFPA’s enforcement mapCross-checkAgrees with the record
Alabama 2020 (7/1/2022), Alabama Division of Construction Management (NEC enforcement table as of Aug 3, 2026; no URL supplied)
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