NEC Adoption by State

Texas enforces the 2023 NEC statewide (effective September 1, 2023) until September 1, 2026, when the 2026 NEC takes effect per confirmed TDLR rulemaking. The electrician licensing exam switches to the 2026 edition the same day. The outdoor-outlet GFCI rule (210.8(F)) itself dates to the 2020 NEC, not 2026; what changes on September 1, 2026 is that the 2023 NEC's temporary HVAC exception to it self-expires, so outdoor AC and heat-pump equipment then needs GFCI protection. Texas has proposed a state amendment to keep exempting HVAC equipment, so watch the final adopted rule text.

California enforces the 2023 NEC through the 2025 California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3), which took effect January 1, 2026. California runs its own three-year code cycle with state amendments rather than adopting the NEC directly, so the CEC edition name and the underlying NEC edition differ by two years. No 2026 NEC activity has been announced.

Our best reading is the 2020 NEC, incorporated through the Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023), though one tracker lists 2023 and we flag the row as conflicting. The 2023 NEC is expected to arrive with the FBC 9th Edition around December 2026. Confirm with the Florida Building Commission or your local building department before relying on either answer.

New York State moved to the 2023 NEC through the 2025 Uniform Code, effective December 31, 2025, per a single dated source, so we mark the row recently updated. New York City is separate: it enforces its own NYC Electrical Code on its own schedule, so five-borough work follows the city code, not the state edition.

Yes, one. Massachusetts put the 2026 NEC in force on April 24, 2026, adopted with state amendments as 527 CMR 12.00, confirmed by the primary source at Mass.gov. Texas is confirmed next, effective September 1, 2026. Washington targets December 31, 2026, and Oregon is anticipated in fall 2026. Claims circulating online that a half-dozen other states have already adopted the 2026 edition did not survive verification.

As a general rule, the code edition in force when the permit application is filed governs the job through completion, and jurisdictions typically publish transition windows around an effective date. But this is administrative law that varies by state and city, and inspectors have discretion during transitions. If your job straddles an adoption date, ask the AHJ in writing which edition applies before rough-in.

Often, yes. In the six local-option states (Arizona, Illinois, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada) the local jurisdiction is the only code authority. Even in statewide-code states, local amendments are common, and some big cities run their own codes entirely: Chicago and New York City are the famous examples. The statewide edition on this page is the starting point; the AHJ that signs your inspection card is the final word.

Every row was compiled and cross-checked in July 2026 against multiple adoption trackers and, for Massachusetts and Texas, primary state sources. We re-check it by hand when we touch this page, not on a schedule, so read the July 2026 date as the age of the data rather than as a promise about tomorrow. Adoption status churns constantly and most published trackers are stale or wrong somewhere, this one included as it ages. Rows where our sources disagree carry a red marker and name the state board to confirm with; we would rather show you our uncertainty than fake precision.