National Electrical Code (NFPA 70)
North Carolina enforces the 2020 NEC
The 2020 National Electrical Code (NEC) has been in force in North Carolina since Nov 1, 2021. It applies statewide. Adopted by North Carolina Building Code Council (approved by Rules Review Commission). The legal citation is 2018 North Carolina State Building Code set, Electrical Code volume; G.S. 143-138.
Record of adoption
Edition in force
2020 NEC
2020 North Carolina Electrical Code
Verified
- In force since
- Legal citation
- 2018 North Carolina State Building Code set, Electrical Code volume; G.S. 143-138
- Adopted by
- North Carolina Building Code Council (approved by Rules Review Commission)
- Second reading
- Applies
- Statewide
- Also called
- NC Electrical Code, 2020 NEC with NC amendments
Two editions are in force at once, split by Residential Code scope. The 2020 edition (effective Nov 1, 2021) covers non-residential-code buildings; the 2017 edition covers residential-code buildings until the 2024 codes take effect. OSFM’s codes page contradicts itself on which is ‘currently effective’ (2017 vs 2020), but the newsletters give the split. OSFM gives Nov 1, 2021; an earlier secondary announcement said Oct 1, 2021.
Exceptions
- The 2017 NC Electrical Code (2017 NEC, effective Jun 12, 2018) still governs buildings and structures within the scope of the 2018 NC Residential Code (one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses); the 2020 edition governs buildings outside that scope
Coming next
- 2023 NECPartialAdopted; start date not setAdopted, not yet in forcePart of the 2024 North Carolina State Building Code; S.L. 2025-2, s. 5.12 delays its effective date
Adopted by the Building Code Council Dec 12, 2023, and approved by the Rules Review Commission. Effective 12 months after the first day of the month following State Fire Marshal certification; not yet set. A June 2026 state licensing board notice said the earliest possible date is May 1, 2027.
How North Carolina adopts the NEC
The Building Code Council adopts each NC Electrical Code (an NEC edition plus NC amendments) as a rule, the Rules Review Commission approves it, and the code can be subject to legislative review under G.S. 150B-21.3. The General Assembly has twice delayed the 2024 code set by session law (S.L. 2024-57, then S.L. 2025-2 s. 5.12), which now ties the effective date to a State Fire Marshal certification.
Cycle. Irregular; the Electrical Code has been updated separately from the I-Code volumes (2017 in 2018, 2020 in 2021, 2023 adopted in 2023 but not yet effective).
Laws, rulings, and other actions
- Other actionState licensing board notice: earliest possible effective date of the 2024 Code is May 1, 2027
Says effective date will be at least one year after the General Assembly approves the Governor’s Residential Code Council nominees; not set and may be further delayed.
- LegislationH 47 / S.L. 2025-2, s. 5.122025 regular session, Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 - Part I
Makes the 2024 State Building Code effective 12 months after the first day of the month following State Fire Marshal certification that publication/distribution is complete and the Residential Code Council is fully constituted.
Enacted Mar 19, 2025, effective Mar 19, 2025
ncleg.gov (opens in a new tab) - LegislationS 382 / S.L. 2024-57, s. 1F.32023 session, enacted in Dec 2024
Delayed the effective date of the 2024 North Carolina State Building Code from Jan 1, 2025, to Jul 1, 2025.
Enacted Dec 11, 2024; delay to Jul 1, 2025, superseded by S.L. 2025-2
ncosfm.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 three 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.
“The 2020 Electrical Code was effective from November 1, 2021 and is currently effective.”
Codes - Current and Past (Electrical Code notes)NC Office of State Fire Marshal (Department of Insurance)ncosfm.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved “for buildings and structures not included within the scope of the 2018 North Carolina Residential Code.”
Engineering Newsletter, December 2024NC Office of State Fire Marshal (Department of Insurance)ncosfm.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved “went in effect November 1, 2021.”
Engineering Newsletter, February 2022NC Office of State Fire Marshal (Department of Insurance)ncosfm.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved
Tracker cross-checks
Code adoption trackers are a cross-check. They are not North Carolina’s own record.
NFPA’s enforcement mapCross-checkAgrees with the record
North Carolina 2020 with NC amendments for other than one- and two-family dwellings (11/1/21) (NFPA NEC enforcement table as of Aug 3, 2026)