Where GFCI and AFCI protection is required

What the rule is for
In a dwelling unit, every 125-volt through 250-volt receptacle on a single-phase branch circuit rated 150 volts or less to ground needs GFCI protection when it is in a listed location. There is no ampere limit in (A), so a 240-volt, 50-ampere garage receptacle is covered. The 2026 list has 14 items: bathrooms; garages; storage or work areas of accessory buildings; outdoors; crawl spaces at or below grade; basements; kitchens; areas with a sink and permanent provisions for food or beverage preparation or cooking; within 6 feet of the top inside edge of a sink bowl; boathouses; within 6 feet of the outside edge of a bathtub or shower stall; laundry areas; indoor damp locations; and indoor wet locations. Basements are listed without the word "unfinished," so a finished basement counts. Four exceptions follow the list; on the exam, ignore them unless the question names one.

How to find it
Chapter 2, Article 210, Part I, 210.8(A) "Dwelling Units". Read the opening sentence for voltage and phase limits, then scan the numbered list.

Worked lookup
A 125-volt receptacle is installed in a dwelling crawl space that is at grade level, to serve a dehumidifier. Does it need GFCI protection? 210.8(A)(5) lists crawl spaces at or below grade level. Answer: yes, per 210.8(A)(5).

Common trap
Using the "unfinished" wording that belongs to 210.8(B) for other occupancies, or assuming 240-volt receptacles are exempt. Also remember distances use the cord path described in the 210.8 opening paragraph.

What the rule is for
Outside dwelling units, GFCI protection covers two groups of receptacles in the listed locations: 125-volt through 250-volt receptacles on single-phase circuits rated 150 volts or less to ground and 50 amperes or less, and all receptacles on three-phase circuits rated 150 volts or less to ground and 100 amperes or less. A 480Y/277-volt receptacle is 277 volts to ground, so it is outside the rule. The 2026 list has 16 items, including bathrooms, kitchens, buffet serving areas, rooftops, outdoors, within 6 feet of a sink, indoor damp and wet locations, locker rooms with showers, garages and service bays (not showrooms or exhibition halls), crawl spaces at or below grade, unfinished areas of basements, within 6 feet of aquariums and bait wells, laundry areas, and within 6 feet of tubs and showers. Five exceptions follow, such as industrial assured grounding programs and industrial laboratories.

How to find it
Chapter 2, Article 210, Part I, 210.8(B) "Other Than Dwelling Units". Check the opening sentence for the voltage, phase and ampere limits before reading the list.

Worked lookup
A restaurant kitchen has a 208Y/120-volt, three-phase, 60-ampere receptacle for a mixer. Does it need GFCI protection? 210.8(B): three-phase, 120 volts to ground, 60 amperes is within 100 amperes, and (2) lists kitchens. Answer: yes, per 210.8(B)(2).

Common trap
Using the dwelling list. In other occupancies only unfinished basement areas are listed, and showrooms are excluded from the garage item. Also do not stop at single-phase; three-phase receptacles up to 100 amperes are covered.

What the rule is for
In a dwelling unit, every 120-volt, single-phase, 10-, 15- or 20-ampere branch circuit that supplies outlets or devices in the listed rooms needs AFCI protection by one of the methods in 210.12(A). The 2026 list is kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, laundry areas and similar areas. Bathrooms, garages and outdoors are not on the dwelling list. A 240-volt circuit is not covered, and neither is a circuit above 20 amperes. Two exceptions cover an individual fire alarm circuit in metal wiring methods and an individual circuit for arc welding equipment. The AFCI itself must be listed and readily accessible. AFCI and GFCI are separate requirements, so a kitchen or laundry circuit often needs both.

How to find it
Chapter 2, Article 210, Part I, 210.12 "Arc-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection", then (B) "Dwelling Units". The methods are in (A), dormitories in (C), other occupancies in (D), and extensions in (E).

Worked lookup
A dwelling 120-volt, 15-ampere circuit supplies the receptacles in a den. Does it need AFCI protection? 210.12(B): 120-volt, single-phase, 15 amperes, and (7) lists dens. Answer: yes, per 210.12(B)(7).

Common trap
Adding bathrooms or garages to the dwelling AFCI list, or confusing the AFCI list with the GFCI list in 210.8(A). The other trap is forgetting the 10-ampere circuits that 2026 now names alongside 15 and 20 amperes.