National Electrical Code Changes in 2020

NEC 2020 includes four major updates to the existing 2017 electrical code:

• GFCI protection is now required for 125–250V receptacles within 6 feet of sinks.
• Surge protection is now required for lines feeding dwelling units.
• Emergency disconnects are now required for all one- and two-family dwelling units.
• Solar panels (California directive) are now required to have an outdoor emergency disconnect.

Here is the status of NEC adoptions for the United States for both NEC 2020 and NEC 2023 as of March 1, 2025. Individual states may make exceptions or amendments to parts of the code, so confirm your local code to stay compliant:

• NEC 2023 adoption is complete in Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.
• NEC 2023 adoption is under way and NEC 2020 adoption is complete in California, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire and North Carolina.
• NEC 2020 adoption is complete in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.
• NEC 2017 is adopted in Indiana, Maryland, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Wisconsin.
• NEC 2008 is adopted in Illinois and Kansas.
• NEC regulation occurs only at the county/municipal level in Arizona, Mississippi and Missouri.

The following are major changes to the 2020 National Electrical Code.

Outlet boxes for ceiling-suspended fans are required to be able to support the fans in locations where they are likely to be suspended. The NEC 2020 update removed wording to make the code apply to all ceiling fans, not just ones that are separately switched. The code includes an exception for fans supported directly by the structure and not the box itself.

GFCI protection in dwellings is required for all 125–250V receptacles within 6 feet of sinks. Notable spaces include:

• Laundry areas
• Kitchens
• Unfinished basements
• Finished basements
• Outdoor outlets 150V to ground or less and up to 50 amps

This applies to:

• Ranges within 6 feet of sinks
• Electric dryers
• Dishwashers
• Sump pumps
• Pool motors
• Equipment that requires service, including HVAC and refrigeration units

GFCI protection is also required in non-dwellings. Notable spaces include:

• Indoor damp and wet locations
• Permanent fixtures for cooking
• Permanent provisions for food preparation
• Accessory buildings

This applies to:

• Dishwashers
• Drinking fountains
• Sump pumps
• Pool motors
• Equipment that requires service, including HVAC and refrigeration units

Emergency Disconnects

• Required for all single- and two-family dwellings
• Must function from outside dwellings
• Must be readily accessible
• Applies to generators and energy storage systems (ESS)

Generators must be marked with one of the following:

• EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, SERVICE DISCONNECT
• EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, METER DISCONNECT, NOT SERVICE EQUIPMENT
• EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, NOT SERVICE EQUIPMENT

The following are emergency disconnect requirements not related to service equipment:

Surge Protection

• New article (242) includes service lines to dwelling units
• Must be part of service equipment or adjacent
• May be located at each level of downstream distribution

Now applies to:

• Line side and load side services
• Replacements and service upgrades

Solar (California)

• Solar panels on new construction*
• Outdoor disconnect required for all energy storage units

The State of California requires solar photovoltaic systems for newly constructed healthcare facilities starting January 1, 2020.

NEC 2020 includes several new articles. Surge protection article 242 is one among four.

Article 242 Overvoltage Protection combines articles 280 and 285 and addresses surge protective requirements, devices and arresters.

Article 337 Type P Cable addresses 600V Type P cables used in industrial and hazardous areas and specifications.

Article 311 MV Conductors & Cable expands on deleted article 328 and addresses medium voltage conductors and cables, their use and specifications.

Article 800 General Requirements for Communications Systems consolidates the previous contents of 2017 NEC chapter 8 into one articles and addresses requirements for communication circuits, including television and radio distribution antennae and network powered broadband systems.

Removed Articles

NEC 2020 removes several articles present in NEC 2017 to improve clarity and limit redundancies. These are:

• Article 280 SPDs over 1,000V
• Article 285 SPDs 1,000V or less
• Article 328 MV Cable Type MV
• Article 553 Floating Buildings

The National Fire Protection Agency publishes official updates to the National Electrical Code every three years. These updates have run uninterrupted since 1897, when the code was introduced. 2020 NEC is the result of more than 5,000 public inputs and comments, 18 panels, the annual NFPA meeting and more than 2,000 revisions.

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