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2026 NEC changes

2026 NEC changes that change an exam answer

The 2026 NEC moved the load calculation rules from Article 220 to new Article 120 and cut the dwelling feeder and service lighting load from 3 to 2 VA per square foot, raised the GFCI limit for outdoor outlets to 60 A, lowered the smallest general-wiring copper conductor to 16 AWG, and renumbered sections across Articles 200 to 450. Below are the 75 differences from the 2023 edition that can change an exam answer, by topic, each with both section numbers.

These differences come from comparing our own plain-language summaries of the 2023 and 2026 editions, checked against both books where they disagreed; check every rule against your own copy before you rely on it.

Which exams use the 2026 NEC

Texas has tested on the 2026 NEC since September 1, 2026, and Colorado, Maine and Minnesota test it too. Oklahoma, California, Michigan and most other states with a state exam still test the 2023 NEC. See the edition each state tests, with its source.

Changes by topic

Load calculations

Article 220 is now Article 120 in 2026, and the minimum unit load for feeders and services drops from 3 VA to 2 VA per square foot.

Article 220 to Article 120, section by section

Branch circuits, GFCI and AFCI

210.8(F) now covers outlets of 60 A or less, and several branch circuit lists and exceptions changed.

Receptacles

New limits on receptacles below countertops, a narrower replacement exception, and a new location in 406.26.

Services and feeders

Surge protection reaches more occupancies, the dwelling emergency disconnect moves into 230.70, and the 110.16 label loses the 1000 A threshold.

Grounding and bonding

Impedance bonding jumpers have one sizing rule, and 250.122 is relettered with a new cap for parallel runs.

Conductors and wiring methods

16 AWG copper becomes a general wiring size, Article 300 is renumbered with new rules, and NM cable has new limits.

Boxes

The dwelling fan box rule is relettered and reworded.

Equipment, appliances and luminaires

SCCR marking, the 410.184 GFCI and SPGFCI rules, the furnace circuit and fans near tubs and showers all changed.

Motors

The 1700 percent limit for instantaneous trip breakers applies to more motor designs.

Swimming pools and similar

The pool definition widens, the 680.5(B) 3-phase circuit limit rises to 100 A, and bonding reaches deeper.

Electric vehicle charging

All permanently connected EVSE needs a disconnect, and a 50 A receptacle may not go on a 40 A circuit.

Other occupancies and systems

Marina shore power, mobile homes, temporary lighting, elevators, operating rooms and interconnected sources.

Worked examples in Informative Annex D

The worked examples give different answers in 2026, mostly because of 2 VA per square foot and the 8 kVA first step.

New rules in 2026

Rules with no 2026 counterpart

Sections that moved

Same rule, new number. If your tabs or notes are from a 2023 book, these are the lookups that send you to the wrong page.

Article 220 (now Article 120) Load Calculations

2023 NEC2026 NEC
220.1120.1
220.3120.4
220.11120.11
220.16120.16
220.40120.40
220.42120.42
220.43120.43
220.44120.44
220.45120.45
220.46120.46
220.47120.47
220.50120.50
220.51120.51
220.52120.52
220.53120.53
220.54120.54
220.55120.55
220.61120.61(A)
220.80120.80
220.85120.85
220.86120.86
220.88120.88
220.100120.100
220.102120.102
220.103120.103
220.120120.120
Table 220.45Table 120.45
Table 220.47Table 120.47
Table 220.55Table 120.55
Table 220.56Table 120.56
Table 220.84(B)Table 120.84(C)
Table 220.86Table 120.86
Table 220.88Table 120.88
Table 220.102(B)Table 120.102(B)
Table 220.103Table 120.103
Table 220.120Table 120.120

Article 200 Grounded Conductors

2023 NEC2026 NEC
200.2200.4
200.3200.5
200.4200.6
200.6(A)200.7(A)
200.6(B)200.7(B)
200.6(C)200.7(C)
200.6(D)200.7(D)
200.6(E)200.7(E)
200.7200.8

Article 210 Branch Circuits

2023 NEC2026 NEC
210.2210.3
210.3210.14
210.5(C)(2)210.5(C)(3)

Article 215 Feeders

2023 NEC2026 NEC
215.2(A)215.4(A)
215.2(B)215.4(B)
215.2(C)215.4(C)
215.3215.5
215.4215.14
215.5215.13

Article 230 Services

2023 NEC2026 NEC
230.2230.4
230.3230.5
230.56110.15

Article 240 Overcurrent Protection

2023 NEC2026 NEC
240.2240.3

Article 250 Grounding and Bonding

2023 NEC2026 NEC
250.4250.4(A), 250.4(B)
250.30250.30(A)-(C)
250.124(B)250.124
250.182270.4
250.184270.27
250.186270.24
250.188270.115
250.194270.14

Article 300 Wiring Methods

2023 NEC2026 NEC
300.1(C)Table 300.19(B)
300.3(A)300.5(A)
300.3(B)300.5(B)
300.3(C)300.5(C)
300.4(A)300.6(A)
300.4(B)300.6(B)
300.4(D)300.6(D)
300.4(F)300.6(F)
300.4(G)300.6(G)
300.4(H)300.6(H)
300.5(A)300.7(A)
300.5(B)300.7(B)
300.5(C)300.7(C)
300.5(D)300.7(D)
300.5(E)300.7(E)
300.5(F)-(H)300.7(F)-(H)
300.5(I)300.7(I)
300.5(J)-(K)300.7(J)-(K)
300.6300.8
300.7300.9
300.8300.10
300.10300.12
300.12300.14
300.13300.15
300.14300.16
300.15300.17
300.16300.18
300.18300.20
300.19300.21
300.20300.22
300.21300.23
300.22300.25
300.23300.26
300.25300.27
Table 300.5(A)Table 300.7(A)
Table 300.19(A)Table 300.21(A)

Article 312 Cabinets and Cutout Boxes

2023 NEC2026 NEC
312.2312.4
312.3312.5
312.4312.7
312.6312.9
312.7312.10
312.8312.11
312.9312.12
312.10312.13
312.100312.100 / 312.2
Table 312.6(A)Table 312.9(A)
Table 312.6(B)(2)Table 312.9(B)(2)

Article 314 Boxes and Conduit Bodies

2023 NEC2026 NEC
314.2314.4
314.3314.5
314.4314.6
314.5314.7
314.27(B)314.27(C)
314.27(D)-(E)314.27(C)-(E)
314.70314.70(A)
Table 314.16(B)(1)Table 314.16(B)(4)

Article 404 Switches (much of it moved into Article 406)

2023 NEC2026 NEC
404.2(A)-(B)406.30
404.2(C)406.30
404.3404.5; 406.32
404.4404.6
404.5406.34; 404.7
404.6404.8
404.7404.9; 406.36
404.8404.10; 406.38
404.10406.42
404.12404.12; 406.44
404.14(A)406.46
404.14(B)406.46
404.14(C)-(D)406.10
404.14(E)406.46
404.14(F)406.46
404.14(G)406.46
404.16404.3; 406.3
404.20404.20; 406.48
404.22406.50

Article 406 Receptacles

2023 NEC2026 NEC
406.2406.3
406.3(A)406.11
406.3(B)406.11
406.3(C)-(D)406.10
406.3(E)406.11
406.3(F)406.11
406.3(G)406.11
406.4(A)406.12
406.4(B)-(C)406.12
406.4(D)(1)-(2)406.12(D)
406.4(D)(4)406.12(D)
406.4(D)(5)-(8)406.12(D)
406.4(E)-(G)406.12
406.5(A)-(C)406.14
406.5(D)406.14
406.5(I)-(J)406.14
406.7406.18
406.8406.20
406.10406.19
406.11406.24
406.13406.28

Article 408 Switchboards and Panelboards

2023 NEC2026 NEC
408.2408.3
408.3(E)408.10
408.16408.16-408.17
408.17408.16-408.17
408.19408.19-408.23
408.20408.19-408.23
408.22408.19-408.23
408.23408.19-408.23
408.30408.14
408.38408.37-408.39
408.52408.50-408.52

Article 410 Luminaires

2023 NEC2026 NEC
410.2410.3
410.5410.4
410.8410.5
410.10(A)-(C)410.10
410.10(D)410.10
410.10(E)-(F)410.10

Article 422 Appliances

2023 NEC2026 NEC
422.6422.2
422.21422.19-422.22
422.42422.42-422.45
422.44422.42-422.45
422.45422.42-422.45
422.62422.60-422.62

Article 424 Space Heating

2023 NEC2026 NEC
424.3424.8
Table 424.3Table 424.8

Article 430 Motors

2023 NEC2026 NEC
430.2430.3
430.122430.120-430.124

Article 450 Transformers

2023 NEC2026 NEC
450.2450.4
450.3450.5
450.4450.6
450.5450.7
450.6450.8
450.7450.9
450.8450.10
450.9450.11
450.11450.13
450.12450.14
450.13450.15
450.14450.16
Table 450.3(A)Table 450.5(A)
Table 450.3(B)Table 450.5(B)

Article 590 Temporary Installations

2023 NEC2026 NEC
590.2590.4
590.3590.5
590.4(A)590.4
590.4(B)590.6(A)
590.4(C)590.6(B)
590.4(D)590.6(C)
590.4(E)590.6(D)
590.4(G)590.6(F)
590.4(H)-(I)590.6(G)-(H)
590.4(J)590.6(I)
590.5590.2
590.6590.7
590.6(A)590.7(A)
590.6(B)590.7(B)
590.7590.8
590.8590.9

Article 680 Swimming Pools

2023 NEC2026 NEC
680.6680.2
680.22(D)680.22(E)
680.22(E)680.22(F)
680.23(C)680.23(C)-(E)
680.23(D)680.23(C)-(E)
680.23(E)680.23(C)-(E)
680.55680.55-680.56
680.56680.55-680.56
680.62680.60-680.62
680.81680.80-680.85

Articles 700, 701 and 702 Emergency and Standby Systems

2023 NEC2026 NEC
700.2700.3
700.6700.7
700.7700.8
701.2701.3-701.4
701.5701.6
702.2702.3

Chapter 7 and 8 moves (power-limited, fire alarm, fiber, communications, antennas)

2023 NEC2026 NEC
725.144722.140
Table 725.144Table 722.140(B)(2)
728.1772.1
750.1130.1
760.154722.170
Table 760.154Table 722.170
770.154722.160
770.100750.100
800.100750.100
800.154722.130
Table 800.154(a)Table 722.130
810.15750.60
810.21750.66
820.100750.75

Chapter 9 Table 4 (conduit and tubing dimensions)

2023 NEC2026 NEC
Chapter 9 Table 4 Article 362Chapter 9 Table 4 (ENT)
Chapter 9 Table 4 Article 348Chapter 9 Table 4 (FMC)
Chapter 9 Table 4 Article 342Chapter 9 Table 4 (IMC)
Chapter 9 Table 4 Article 356 LFNC-AChapter 9 Table 4 (LFNC-A)
Chapter 9 Table 4 Article 356 LFNC-BChapter 9 Table 4 (LFNC-B)
Chapter 9 Table 4 Article 356 LFNC-CChapter 9 Table 4 (LFNC-C)
Chapter 9 Table 4 Article 350Chapter 9 Table 4 (LFMC)
Chapter 9 Table 4 Article 344Chapter 9 Table 4 (RMC)
Chapter 9 Table 4 Article 352 Schedule 80Chapter 9 Table 4 (PVC Schedule 80)
Chapter 9 Table 4 Articles 352 and 353 Schedule 40Chapter 9 Table 4 (PVC Schedule 40 and HDPE)
Chapter 9 Table 4 Article 352 Type AChapter 9 Table 4 (Type A PVC)
Chapter 9 Table 4 Article 352 Type EBChapter 9 Table 4 (Type EB PVC)

Next step

Check yourself on the 2026 edition with a free practice test, or practice finding sections in the new book with timed lookups.

Last verified November 11, 2026.