The NEC (National Electrical Code, also known as NFPA 70 document) serves the electrical industry as an extremely important foundation of regulations for electrical installations, equipment, and conditions. Without this highly comprehensive set of standards, electrical installations everywhere would be plagued with safety hazards, a lack of consistency, and flawed designs. A new version of the NEC is released every 3 years.

The NEC is not a legislative branch in itself. However, it can and is enforced by local governing agencies for regulatory purposes to ensure safe and high-quality electrical installations. Many purchasing agreements include a contractual obligation to manufacture and install products and systems that are in full compliance with the NEC / NFPA 70 standards.

It is also a great tool for learning at every level. The illustrated version of the NEC provides color illustrations complete with diagrams, examples, and sample calculations for a comprehensive understanding of each topic. Electrician’s Journal highly recommends investing in the NEC Illustrated Version to further develop your electrical skill set to its fullest. These color illustrations also provide extra support to convince customers that additional expenses are required to be in compliance. See below for sample illustration types:

Generally, if you are preparing to take an Electrician’s Exam, the Introduction and chapters 1 through 4 mostly apply. However, Chapters 5 through 7 are for Special Occupancies, special equipment, and special conditions. See below for the 2014 and 2017 Code Language section in NEC Article 90.3.

The diagram below is a breakdown of the NEC content by chapter:

The NEC table of contents provides an excellent overview and also serves as an application guide for any project. Follow the link below for the NEC Table of Contents:

The best method of searching the code by topic is to always go to the Contents FIRST to find the correct chapter. Once you are at the correct chapter, use the local contents (for Handbook version) or paragraph headings (for basic non-illustrated version) for the correct section. Also, pay attention to the titles of the sub-parts to make sure you are searching the correct context (i.e. the correct voltage range, amperage range, raceway type, installation type, equipment type, conditions, etc.). Beware of using only the index as you will likely end up using the wrong context for the topic you are searching for. When searching the NEC code, context is everything.

The Annex Section in the back of the NEC Code book contains a multitude of worked out example calculations. It is highly recommended that you work through these calculations to become familiar with electrical math, using the fundamental electrical formulas, and understanding their applications.

NOTE: Not every state observes the latest NEC code version. You can search the internet by state and city to see which NEC version each state and city is using. The state and city versions are not always the same.

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