International Residential Code
New Jersey enforces the 2024 IRC
The 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) has been in force in New Jersey since Aug 17, 2026. It applies statewide. Adopted by NJ Department of Community Affairs (Commissioner), with Code Advisory Board. The legal citation is N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21.
Record of adoption
Edition in force
2024 IRC
One- and Two-Family Dwelling Subcode, International Residential Code/2024, NJ ed
Verified
- In force since
- Legal citation
- N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21
- Adopted by
- NJ Department of Community Affairs (Commissioner), with Code Advisory Board
- Second reading
- Applies
- Statewide
- Also called
- N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21
State edition is labeled NJ ed (amended). Replaced the 2021 IRC effective Sep 6, 2022.
Exceptions
- Six-month grace period lets complete permit applications be reviewed under the prior (2021) edition; a secondary source gives Feb 17, 2027, as the end
How New Jersey adopts the IRC
Same as the IBC: the Commissioner amends N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.21 by rule after Code Advisory Board review, with a Register proposal, comment period and adoption. No legislative approval step was found; the statute caps adoption of new publications at once per three years.
Cycle. Roughly every three to four years following the ICC cycle
Laws, rulings, and other actions
- LegislationP.L. 1996, c.53 (Assembly Committee Substitute for A1708 and A1782)
Amended the Uniform Construction Code Act (N.J.S.A. 52:27D-123) so subcodes may be adopted individually and adoption of new model-code publications cannot occur more often than once every three years except in imminent peril.
Enacted Jun 28, 1996, effective first day of third month after enactment
pub.njleg.gov (opens in a new tab)
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 six source pages.
Evidence 8 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.
“Effective Date: August 17, 2026.”
N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.14, 3.15, 3.16 (adoption notice, model codes 2024)NJ Department of Community Affairsnj.gov (opens in a new tab)State registerRetrieved “the 2024 International Building Code”
“the 2024 edition of the International Residential Code”
“2023 National Electrical Code (NEC)”
N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.14, 3.15, 3.16 (adoption notice, model codes 2024)NJ Department of Community Affairsnj.gov (opens in a new tab)State registerRetrieved “the 2024 editions of the IBC, IRC, IECC, IMC, IFGC, NSPC, and the 2023 edition of the NEC”
2024 model codes rule proposal (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.14 through 3.22)NJ Department of Community Affairsnj.gov (opens in a new tab)State registerRetrieved “5:23-3.14”
“International Building Code/2024, NJ ed”
“Aug 17, 2026 | ONE- AND TWO-FAMILY DWELLING”
“5:23-3.21”
“International Residential Code/2024, NJ ed”
“Aug 17, 2026”
Current Construction CodesNJ Department of Community Affairsnj.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved “2021 2020 2021 2019 2021 2021 2021 2021 2017 09-06-22”
“2024 2023 2024 2022 2024 2024 2024 2024 2024 08-17-26”
New Jersey Model Code Adoption HistoryNJ Department of Community Affairsnj.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved About another code
“during the six-month grace period following adoption of the model codes”
N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.14, 3.15, 3.16 (adoption notice, model codes 2024)NJ Department of Community Affairsnj.gov (opens in a new tab)State registerRetrieved About another code
“six-month grace period for the previous model codes”
Construction Code Communicator, Fall 2022 (grace period)NJ Department of Community Affairs, Division of Codes and Standardsnj.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved About another code
New Jersey Adopts New I-CodesICC-NTAicc-nta.org (opens in a new tab)Other source, secondaryRetrieved
Tracker cross-checks
Code adoption trackers are a cross-check. They are not New Jersey’s own record.
ICC’s code adoption mapCross-checkDoes not agree with the record
Adoption chart (April 2026 copy): IRC 2021 for New Jersey