Delaware — electrical code & licensing
Verified
The code
| Edition in force | 2023 NEC (NFPA 70) as adopted, with amendments, in the Delaware State Fire Prevention Regulations (Regulation 701 adopted codes and standards) |
| Edition structure | One statewide edition |
| Effective date | 2026-01-01 |
| Date as recorded | 2026-01-01 |
| Adopted by | Delaware State Fire Prevention Commission, under 16 Del.C. s.6604(1) (regulations administered/enforced through the State Fire Marshal) |
| Adoption source | https://regulations.delaware.gov/api/AdminCode/title1/701/630432c8-5287-4485-9617-22c686fddaa4 |
| State amendments | Amendments ride in the adoption document itself — https://regulations.delaware.gov/api/AdminCode/title1/701/630432c8-5287-4485-9617-22c686fddaa4 |
Licensing
| Model | State licensing by the Board of Electrical Examiners (Division of Professional Regulation), 24 Del.C. ch. 14 - a Delaware license is required to perform electrical services |
| Authority | Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners, Division of Professional Regulation |
| Licensing source | https://delcode.Delaware.gov/title24/c014/sc01/index.html |
| License classes | https://dpr.delaware.gov/boards/electrician/apprentice/ |
Permits & inspections
Electrical inspections in Delaware are performed by state-licensed (private) electrical inspection agencies using the NEC as adopted by the State Fire Marshal / Fire Prevention Commission (per the Board's official FAQ).
How this record was verified
| Adoption | Verified |
| Amendments | Verified |
| Licensing | Verified |
| Permits & inspections | Verified |
Working notes
Regulation 701 official text confirms the Commission promulgates the Fire Prevention Regulations under 16 Del.C. s.6604(1) and states 'This regulation will become effective January 1, 2026'; the Commission's final filing in the December 2025 Delaware Register (29 DE Reg 509) is the instrument updating the adopted NFPA 70 to the 2023 NEC (Delaware previously used the 2020 NEC from 2021). VERIFIED - status lifted by E-FIX 1 (2026-10-25) per E-QA 1: the codified Regulation 701 text at this row's own official regulations.delaware.gov URL was read firsthand in E-QA 1 and re-checked in E-FIX 1 - s.1.2 'This regulation will become effective January 1, 2026' and s.3.1.42 'NFPA 70, National Electrical Code, 2023' - so the edition step no longer rests on the Board FAQ's adoption framing or on the Register final-rule text that could not be extracted in E-DATA 2 (the codified result of that filing was read instead, which is the stronger evidence). License types listed on the Board's official pages: Master, Master Special, Limited, Limited Special, Residential, Journeyperson, Apprentice (24 Del.C. s.1408). The Board FAQ notes the adopted NEC is 'not available online' from the Fire Marshal - amendments are inside Regulation 701's adopted-codes chapter.
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.