National Electrical Code (NFPA 70)
Tennessee enforces the 2017 NEC
The 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC) has been in force in Tennessee since Oct 1, 2018. It applies statewide. Adopted by Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, State Fire Marshal’s Office (Division of Fire Prevention). The legal citation is Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-02-01-.02.
Record of adoption
Edition in force
2017 NEC
National Electrical Code, 2017 edition (Tennessee Electrical Installations rule, 0780-02-01)
Partial
- In force since
- Legal citation
- Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-02-01-.02
- Adopted by
- Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, State Fire Marshal’s Office (Division of Fire Prevention)
- Applies
- Statewide
- Also called
- NEC, NFPA 70
Agency page lists NEC 2017 ‘except that’ (Tennessee amendments). The rule text gives an effective date of October 1, 2018; the rule amendment itself was filed Dec 19, 2017, effective Mar 19, 2018.
Exceptions
- Local governments may be authorized to perform electrical inspections (rule 0780-02-01-.20).
How Tennessee adopts the NEC
The State Fire Marshal’s Office (Dept. of Commerce and Insurance) adopts model-code editions by rulemaking under T.C.A. 68-120-101 (chapters 0780-02-01 NEC, 0780-02-02 building/fire/energy, 0780-02-23 residential), filing with the Secretary of State. No legislative approval step was found; the General Assembly constrains content by statute (for example no mandatory sprinklers in one- and two-family dwellings, 2/3 local vote for local sprinkler mandates) and in 2025 Public Chapter 149 carved a roof-reflectance requirement out of the 2021 IECC.
Cycle. Irregular, roughly every 4 to 8 years and not every code at once: NEC 2017 since 2018; residential IRC/IECC 2018 since 2020; IBC/IFC/commercial IECC 2021 since 2025.
How it was checked
Partial
Researched in the state’s own record. The seal stays broken until the passage is on file word for word.
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 National Electrical Code (NEC), 2017 edition, published by the NFPA, except that:”
Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office Currently Adopted CodesTennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, State Fire Marshal's Officetn.gov (opens in a new tab)Agency pageRetrieved Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-02-01-.02 Adoption by ReferenceLegal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (mirror of Tennessee rules)law.cornell.edu (opens in a new tab)Administrative code, secondaryRetrieved 0780-02-01 (copy of rule chapter dated Sep 18, 2019)UT Municipal Technical Advisory Service (copy of Secretary of State rule)mtas.tennessee.edu (opens in a new tab)Administrative code, secondaryRetrieved
Tracker cross-checks
Code adoption trackers are a cross-check. They are not Tennessee’s own record.
NFPA’s enforcement mapCross-checkAgrees with the record
Tennessee 2017 (10/1/2018) with TN amendments (NFPA NEC enforcement table, as of Aug 3, 2026)
IAEI’s code adoption pageCross-checkAgrees with the record
Tennessee: 2017, 10/1/2018 (no notes)