The National Electrical Code (NEC), or NFPA 70, is a regionally adoptable standard for the safe installation of electrical wiring and equipment in the United States. The NEC, while having no legally binding regulation as written, can be and often is adopted by states, municipalities and cities in an effort to standardize their enforcement of safe electrical practices within their respective jurisdiction. In some cases, the NEC is amended, altered and may even be rejected in lieu of regional regulations as voted on by the governing bodies of any given locale.
The NEC codifies the requirements for safe electrical installations into a single, standardized source. It is part of the National Fire Codes series published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), and while not itself a U.S. law, NEC use is commonly mandated by state or local law.
The "authority having jurisdiction" inspects for compliance with these minimum standards.
("National Electrical Code" and "NEC" are registered trademarks of the NFPA).
Read more about National Electrical Code: General, Structure of The NEC, Details of Selected NEC Requirements
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