How 210.8 is organised
Section 210.8 has held the NEC’s ground-fault protection rules for personnel through every edition from 2017 to 2026, and it kept its number in 2026. It is built from short lists, and each edition has added to them:
- 210.8(A), dwelling units: the locations in a home where receptacles need GFCI protection.
- 210.8(B), other than dwelling units: the same idea for commercial, industrial and institutional buildings.
- 210.8(C) to (F): special cases that cover outlets rather than just receptacles: crawl-space lighting, specific appliances, equipment that needs servicing, and outdoor outlets at homes.
The letters after (B) moved around. In 2017, (C) was boat hoists, (D) the kitchen dishwasher and (E) crawl-space lighting. From 2020 on, (C) is crawl-space lighting, (D) specific appliances, (E) equipment requiring servicing and (F) outdoor outlets. If you cite a subsection, cite the edition with it.
Two ideas cause most of the confusion. First, the location lists in (A) and (B) apply to receptacles within the voltage and current limits, while (D) and (F) apply to outlets, which includes hard-wired equipment. Second, “within 6 ft of a sink” is measured from the top inside edge of the bowl, and the same 6 ft rule applies to bathtubs and showers.
Voltage and current limits by edition
Whether a receptacle in a listed location needs GFCI protection depends first on its rating. The limits widened sharply in 2020 for homes; for other buildings they have been broad since 2017.
| Edition | Dwellings, 210.8(A) | Other buildings, single-phase | Other buildings, three-phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 125 V, single-phase, 15 A and 20 A receptacles | receptacles ≤150 V to ground, ≤50 A | three-phase receptacles ≤150 V to ground, ≤100 A |
| 2020 | 125-250 V receptacles on single-phase branch circuits ≤150 V to ground (no ampere cap) | 125-250 V receptacles on single-phase branch circuits ≤150 V to ground, ≤50 A | receptacles on three-phase branch circuits ≤150 V to ground, ≤100 A |
| 2023 | 125-250 V receptacles on single-phase branch circuits ≤150 V to ground (no ampere cap) | 125-250 V receptacles on single-phase branch circuits ≤150 V to ground, ≤50 A | receptacles on three-phase branch circuits ≤150 V to ground, ≤100 A |
| 2026 | 125-250 V receptacles on single-phase branch circuits ≤150 V to ground (no ampere cap) | 125-250 V receptacles on single-phase branch circuits ≤150 V to ground, ≤50 A | receptacles on three-phase branch circuits ≤150 V to ground, ≤100 A |
In plain terms: under the 2017 NEC a 240 V dryer receptacle in a home’s laundry area did not need GFCI protection; under 2020 and later it does, because the dwelling rule now reaches 250 V receptacles on single-phase circuits of 150 V or less to ground. The 120/240 V split-phase service in a typical house is 120 V to ground, so every receptacle on it is inside the limit.
Homes: every location, every edition
A tick means the location appears in 210.8(A) in that edition; the number in brackets is its item number, which shifted as items were added. Dashes mean the location was not on the list.
| Location | 2017 | 2020 | 2023 | 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bathrooms | ✓ (A)(1) | ✓ (A)(1) | ✓ (A)(1) | ✓ (A)(1) | |
| Garages | ✓ (A)(2) | ✓ (A)(2) | ✓ (A)(2) | ✓ (A)(2) | |
| Accessory buildings (non-habitable storage/work areas) | ✓ (A)(2) | ✓ (A)(2) | ✓ (A)(2) | ✓ (A)(3) | 2017-2023: only with floor at or below grade (shared item with garages); 2026: own item, grade limit removed |
| Outdoors | ✓ (A)(3) | ✓ (A)(3) | ✓ (A)(3) | ✓ (A)(4) | |
| Crawl spaces at or below grade | ✓ (A)(4) | ✓ (A)(4) | ✓ (A)(4) | ✓ (A)(5) | |
| Basements | ✓ (A)(5) | ✓ (A)(5) | ✓ (A)(5) | ✓ (A)(6) | 2017 unfinished portions only; 2020+ all basements |
| Kitchens | ✓ (A)(6) | ✓ (A)(6) | ✓ (A)(6) | ✓ (A)(7) | 2017/2020 countertop receptacles only; 2023+ all kitchen receptacles |
| Areas with sink + permanent food/beverage prep or cooking | — | — | ✓ (A)(7) | ✓ (A)(8) | |
| Sinks, within 6 ft of top inside edge of bowl | ✓ (A)(7) | ✓ (A)(7) | ✓ (A)(8) | ✓ (A)(9) | |
| Boathouses | ✓ (A)(8) | ✓ (A)(8) | ✓ (A)(9) | ✓ (A)(10) | |
| Bathtubs or shower stalls, within 6 ft | ✓ (A)(9) | ✓ (A)(9) | ✓ (A)(10) | ✓ (A)(11) | |
| Laundry areas | ✓ (A)(10) | ✓ (A)(10) | ✓ (A)(11) | ✓ (A)(12) | |
| Indoor damp locations | — | ✓ (A)(11) | ✓ (A)(12) | ✓ (A)(13) | 2020/2023 one combined damp+wet item; split in 2026 |
| Indoor wet locations | — | ✓ (A)(11) | ✓ (A)(12) | ✓ (A)(14) |
The changes that catch people out:
- Basements: 2017 covered only unfinished portions; from 2020, every basement receptacle is covered, finished or not.
- Kitchens: 2017 and 2020 covered receptacles serving countertops; from 2023, every receptacle in the kitchen, including dedicated appliance receptacles.
- Sink areas with cooking: new in 2023, areas with a sink and permanent provisions for food or beverage preparation or cooking, such as a wet bar or kitchenette, are covered like kitchens.
- Accessory buildings: through 2023 they were covered only with a floor at or below grade and shared an item with garages; 2026 gives them their own item and drops the grade limit.
- Damp and wet locations: added in 2020 as one item, split into two in 2026.
Commercial and other non-dwelling buildings
210.8(B) covers every building that is not a dwelling unit. Since 2017 it has applied to single-phase receptacles up to 50 A and three-phase receptacles up to 100 A, as long as they are 150 V or less to ground. That includes 208Y/120 V and 120/240 V systems, but not 480Y/277 V, which is 277 V to ground.
| Location | 2017 | 2020 | 2023 | 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bathrooms | ✓ (B)(1) | ✓ (B)(1) | ✓ (B)(1) | ✓ (B)(1) | |
| Kitchens | ✓ (B)(2) | ✓ (B)(2) | ✓ (B)(2) | ✓ (B)(2) | |
| Areas with sink + permanent food/beverage prep or cooking | — | ✓ (B)(2) | ✓ (B)(3) | ✓ (B)(3) | 2020: folded into the kitchens item |
| Buffet serving areas with permanent serving/cooking provisions | — | — | ✓ (B)(4) | ✓ (B)(4) | |
| Rooftops | ✓ (B)(3) | ✓ (B)(3) | ✓ (B)(5) | ✓ (B)(5) | |
| Outdoors | ✓ (B)(4) | ✓ (B)(4) | ✓ (B)(6) | ✓ (B)(6) | |
| Sinks, within 6 ft | ✓ (B)(5) | ✓ (B)(5) | ✓ (B)(7) | ✓ (B)(7) | 2023+ also covers cord-and-plug fixed/stationary appliances |
| Indoor damp locations | — | ✓ (B)(6) | ✓ (B)(8) | ✓ (B)(8) | |
| Indoor wet locations | ✓ (B)(6) | ✓ (B)(6) | ✓ (B)(8) | ✓ (B)(9) | |
| Locker rooms with associated showering facilities | ✓ (B)(7) | ✓ (B)(7) | ✓ (B)(9) | ✓ (B)(10) | |
| Garages, service bays and similar (not vehicle showrooms) | ✓ (B)(8) | ✓ (B)(8) | ✓ (B)(10) | ✓ (B)(11) | accessory buildings added in 2020 |
| Crawl spaces at or below grade | ✓ (B)(9) | ✓ (B)(9) | ✓ (B)(11) | ✓ (B)(12) | |
| Unfinished areas of basements | ✓ (B)(10) | ✓ (B)(10) | ✓ (B)(12) | ✓ (B)(13) | |
| Aquariums, bait wells and similar open aquatic vessels, within 6 ft | — | — | ✓ (B)(13) | ✓ (B)(14) | |
| Laundry areas | — | ✓ (B)(11) | ✓ (B)(14) | ✓ (B)(15) | |
| Bathtubs or shower stalls, within 6 ft | — | ✓ (B)(12) | ✓ (B)(15) | ✓ (B)(16) |
The 2023 edition added buffet serving areas and areas near aquariums and bait wells, and extended the sink rule to cord-and-plug connected fixed or stationary appliances. Garages and service bays gained accessory buildings in 2020.
Appliances and equipment: 210.8(D) and (E)
The appliance rule grew from one appliance to twelve:
- 2017: dwelling dishwasher outlets only (210.8(D)).
- 2020: the appliances listed in 422.5(A), which include vending machines, drinking water coolers and bottle fill stations, tire inflation machines, high-pressure spray washers, sump pumps and dishwashers.
- 2023: twelve named appliances on circuits of 150 V or less to ground and 60 A or less: automotive vacuum machines, drinking water coolers and bottle fill stations, high-pressure spray washers, tire inflation machines, vending machines, sump pumps, dishwashers, electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, clothes dryers and microwave ovens.
- 2026: the same twelve, with the three-phase limit raised to 100 A.
The 2023 change is the one with field impact: a range or dryer in a home now needs GFCI protection wherever it is installed, which in practice means a two-pole GFCI breaker. Because 210.8(D) covers outlets, a hard-wired cooktop or wall oven is included.
210.8(E), added in 2020, requires GFCI protection for the service receptacles that 210.63 requires near heating, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment and other equipment needing servicing.
Outdoor outlets and the HVAC exception: 210.8(F)
The 2020 NEC added 210.8(F): outdoor outlets at dwellings, on single-phase circuits of 150 V or less to ground and up to 50 A, need GFCI protection. Unlike the location lists, this covers hard-wired outlets, so it reached air-conditioning condensers and heat pumps. Some inverter-driven (variable-speed) units leak enough high-frequency current to trip GFCI breakers, and the result was years of temporary amendments:
- September 15, 2021: TIA 20-13 effective: (F) delayed to 2023-01-01 for mini-split/variable-speed HVAC.
- August 12, 2022: TIA 23-3 issued: listed-HVAC exception (to 2026-09-01) carried into the 2023 edition.
- September 1, 2022: TIA 20-19 effective (2020 edition): listed HVAC exempt until 2026-09-01.
- January 9, 2025: SR-7584 (extend to 2029) failed CMP-2 ballot; 2026 edition keeps the 2026-09-01 sunset.
- September 1, 2026: Exception No. 2 expired under the model code (unless locally amended).
- September 9, 2026: Comments closed on Proposed TIA 1924 (AHRI, extend to 2028-09-01); no decision published as of 2026-10-14.
Under the 2026 edition the outdoor-outlet limit rises to 60 A, and a new exception allows a listed Class C special-purpose GFCI for listed HVAC equipment, with the disconnect marked. As of 2026-10-14 the old exception has expired under the model code, but AHRI reports ~25 states amended 210.8(F), so your local rule may still differ. Check the state amendments before you fit a GFCI breaker to a condenser circuit, or leave one out.
Which device: Class A, Class C and HF-marked GFCIs
A GFCI compares the current going out on the ungrounded conductor with the current returning on the neutral; any difference is leaking somewhere else, possibly through a person. Personnel protection under 210.8 means a Class A device, which trips at about 5 mA (between 4 and 6 mA) within a time set by its listing. The 2023 edition made “listed Class A” explicit; earlier editions said “ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel”, which meant the same device.
Special-purpose GFCIs (SPGFCIs, listed to UL 943C) trip at higher leakage, 20 mA for Class C devices, and are meant for equipment that cannot work with a 5 mA trip level. The 2026 HVAC exception relies on them. The 2026 edition also adds an informational note about GFCIs marked for high-frequency leakage (HF), which are designed for equipment with variable-speed drives and inverters.
Protection can come from a GFCI breaker, a GFCI receptacle at the first outlet (which then protects the downstream outlets wired from its load terminals), or a dead-front GFCI device. The NEC also requires GFCI devices to be readily accessible, which rules out a GFCI receptacle hidden behind a refrigerator.
Which edition applies to you
GFCI rules apply in the edition your state or city adopted, and 210.8 is one of the most commonly amended sections, especially the outdoor HVAC rule. Look up your state in the NEC adoption tracker, then check the state’s amendments. For everything else that changed in the latest edition, see 2026 NEC changes that affect your calculations.