Alabama — electrical code & licensing
Verified
The code
| Edition in force | 2020 NEC (NFPA 70) - adopted for the Alabama State Building Code ONLY (Ala. Admin. Code ch. 355-12-1); see notes for the scope split |
| Edition structure | State edition with a limited scope |
| Effective date | 2022-07-01 |
| Date as recorded | 2022-07-01 (State Building Code) |
| Adopted by | Alabama Department of Finance, Division of Construction Management (State Building Code) |
| Adoption source | https://dcm.alabama.gov/bldg_code.aspx |
| State amendments | State amendments at their own official document — https://dcm.alabama.gov/PDF/bulletins/04-14-22_Adopted_Amended_355-12-1.pdf |
Licensing
| Model | Statewide state licensing of individuals by the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board: two license types, Electrical Contractor and Journeyman Electrician. No state master-electrician or apprentice class. Licensing is statewide and is independent of the limited-scope State Building Code - it applies even where the NEC edition in force is locally adopted. |
| Authority | Alabama Electrical Contractors Board (AECB), under Ala. Code ch. 34-36 |
| Licensing source | https://aecb.alabama.gov/consumers |
| License classes | https://aecb.alabama.gov/consumers |
Permits & inspections
State Building Code projects are administered by the Division of Construction Management; permitting and inspection for all other construction is local.
How this record was verified
| Adoption | Verified |
| Amendments | Verified |
| Licensing | Verified |
| Permits & inspections | Verified |
Which edition applies where
| all other construction | varies
· selected by local adoption
Other construction follows local adoption. Licensing is statewide regardless. |
| Alabama State Building Code categories (state buildings/state construction, public and private schools, hotels/motels, motion-picture theaters) | 2020 NEC · from 2022-07-01
The state-adopted 2020 NEC applies only to these categories. |
Working notes
SCOPE SPLIT - do not flatten: by statute the Alabama State Building Code (and with it the state-adopted 2020 NEC) applies only to state buildings and state construction, public and private schools, hotels and motels, and motion-picture theaters. Alabama has NO general mandatory statewide NEC adoption for other construction; outside the State Building Code categories, the NEC edition in force is set by local adoption. Edition and date verified on DCM's building-code page and the adopted ch. 355-12-1 bulletin.
Reference only. Compiled from the cited official sources as of the date shown; adoptions and rules change. Confirm with the authority having jurisdiction before designing or permitting work.