History and Development of the National Electrical Code
The National Fire Protection Association has acted as sponsor of the National Electrical
Code since 1911. The original Code document was developed in 1897 as a result of the
united efforts of various insurance, electrical, architectural, and allied interests.
In accordance with the provisions of the NFPA Regulations Governing Committee
Projects, a National Electrical Code Committee Report on Proposals containing proposed
amendments to the 1999 National Electrical Code was published by the NFPA in July 2000.
This report recorded the actions of the various Code-Making Panels and the Correlating
Committee of the National Electrical Code Committee on each proposal that had been made
to revise the 1999 Code. The report was circulated to all members of the National Electrical
Code Committee and was made available to other interested NFPA members and to the
public for review and comment. Following the close of the public comment period, the
Code-Making Panels met, acted on each comment, and reported their action to the Corre-lating
Committee. The NFPA published the National Electrical Code Committee Report on
Comments in April 2001, which recorded the actions of the Code-Making Panels and the
Correlating Committee on each public comment to the National Electrical Code Committee
Report on Proposals. The National Electrical Code Committee Report on Proposals and the
National Electrical Code Committee Report on Comments were presented to the 2001 May
Association Technical Meeting for adoption.
NFPA has an Electrical Section that provides particular opportunity for NFPA members
interested in electrical safety to become better informed and to contribute to the develop-ment
of the National Electrical Code and other NFPA electrical standards. Each of the
Code-Making Panels and the Chairman of the Correlating Committee reported their recom-mendations
to meetings of the Electrical Section at the 2001 NFPA World Fire Safety
Congress and Exposition. The Electrical Section thus had opportunity to discuss and review
the report of the National Electrical Code Committee prior to the adoption of this edition of
the Code by the Association at its 2001 May Technical Session.
This 2002 edition supersedes all other previous editions, supplements, and printings
dated 1897, 1899, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1918, 1920, 1923,
1925, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1951,
1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1965, 1968, 1971, 1975, 1978, 1981,
1984, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1996, and 1999.
New or revised technical content in this edition is indicated by a vertical rule next to the
paragraph, table, or figure in which the change occurred.
This Code is purely advisory as far as NFPA and ANSI are concerned but is offered for
use in law and for regulatory purposes in the interest of life and property protection. Anyone
noticing any errors should notify the Secretary of the National Electrical Code Committee at
the NFPA Executive Office.