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Monday, February 28, 2022

Question:

Greetings CQD,

We have an older home. The question is not related to the home but when the first GFCI was required by the NEC?

Thanks for any historical perspective you can provide.

Margret Hensley

A

Answer:

Hi Margret,

Thanks for the question. If our research is correct, we believe that GFCI protection was introduced for swimming pool light fixtures in the 1968 edition of the Code. It was mentioned as a method of shock protection in Section 680-4(G) of that edition. In the 1971 edition, it became a mandatory requirement for swimming pool light fixtures as provided in Section 680.4 and for storable pools in 680-31 of that edition. Section 210-8 appeared in the 1975 edition and required 125-volt, single-phase receptacles outdoors and in bathrooms to be GFCI protected. Visit NFPA.org under Codes and Standards for historical information about the NEC development through the years, including the evolution and expansion of GFCI requirements throughout the NEC. It's public information. 

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: Unless the question requests a response based on a specific edition, all answers are based on the latest edition of NFPA 70® National Electrical Code®.

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