New Hampshire electrical guides · checked 10 August 2026
Which electrical code does New Hampshire use in 2026?
New Hampshire’s State Building Code includes the 2023 National Electrical Code, with New Hampshire amendments. That is the edition to give a builder, an inspector or an insurer. Towns can enforce an earlier one, so check with the office that will review your permit.
Checked 10 August 2026
What the Division of Fire Safety publishes
“The State Building Code applies in every municipality statewide and sets forth the minimum requirements for all buildings and structures.”
“A municipality that chooses to enforce the state building code is required to adopt an ordinance which is required to be confirmed by the Building Code Review Board. The ordinance may include local amendments to the state building code, provided they are not less stringent than the requirements of the State Building Code. As of July 1, 2026, local amendments are limited to administrative matters.”
“International codes included in the state building are published by the International Code Council (ICC); the National Electrical Code is published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).”
Codes and programs change. Check the source before you act on it, and check with your town.
The electrical code did not change on 1 July 2026
The 2023 National Electrical Code appears in both published lists: the one effective 1 July 2026 and the one allowable during the concurrence period. What moved was the building codes around it, from the 2021 I-Codes to the 2024 I-Codes. Both lists:
“NOTE: Effective July 1, 2026, the State Building Code will be updated to the list below. There is a six-month concurrence period from July 1 - December 31, 2026. During this time, permit requests can be submitted under either the 2021 or 2024 codes. Beginning January 1, 2027, all permit requests shall follow the codes below.”
Effective 1 July 2026
- International Building Code 2024 (IBC) with New Hampshire amendments
- International Existing Building Code 2024 (IEBC)
- International Energy Conservation Code 2018 (IECC)
- International Mechanical Code 2024 (IMC)
- International Plumbing Code 2024 (IPC)
- International Residential Code 2024 (IRC)
- International Swimming Pool and Spa Code 2024 (ISPSC)
- National Electrical Code 2023 (NEC)
The Fire Marshal’s page adds: “All amendments reviewed and approved by the Building Code Review Board as of October 10, 2025, and additional amendments ratified by statute through the current date.”
Also allowable 1 July to 31 December 2026
- International Building Code 2021 (IBC)
- International Existing Building Code 2021 (IEBC)
- International Energy Conservation Code 2018 (IECC)
- International Mechanical Code 2021 (IMC)
- International Plumbing Code 2021 (IPC)
- International Residential Code 2021 (IRC)
- International Swimming Pool and Spa Code 2021 (ISPSC)
- National Electrical Code 2023 (NEC)
The Fire Marshal’s page adds: “All amendments reviewed and approved by the Building Code Review Board as of April 11, 2025, and additional amendments ratified by statute through the current date.”
For a general contractor deciding when to permit, the Division states the position plainly: the concurrence period runs to 31 December 2026, permit requests during it can be submitted under either the 2021 or the 2024 codes, and from 1 January 2027 all permit requests follow the 2024 list. The electrical line on both lists is the 2023 NEC.
Always “with New Hampshire amendments”
The state amends the NEC, so the raw NFPA text is not the whole answer. The Fire Marshal’s page says so in its own bracketed note:
“National Electrical Code 2023 (NEC) [This NFPA link does not include New Hampshire amendments.]”
Building Code Review Board
33 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03305 · (603) 223-4315 · bldgcodebrd@dos.nh.gov
Confirm the edition with the local office before you permit
The State Building Code list names the 2023 National Electrical Code with New Hampshire amendments. Concord’s Code Administration Division lists “NFPA 70™ – National Electrical Code® 2020”. Towns can be a code edition behind the state list, so confirm the edition with the local office before you permit the job. In Concord that is Code Administration on 603-225-8580.
Sources, checked 10 August 2026: NH Division of Fire Safety, firemarshal.dos.nh.gov; City of Concord Code Administration Division, concordnh.gov.
FAQ
Code questions we get asked
Which electrical code does New Hampshire use?
New Hampshire's State Building Code includes the 2023 National Electrical Code, with New Hampshire amendments. The Division of Fire Safety publishes the list, and its own note on the NFPA link reads: “National Electrical Code 2023 (NEC) [This NFPA link does not include New Hampshire amendments.]”
Did the electrical code change on 1 July 2026?
No. The 2023 National Electrical Code appears on both published lists: the one effective 1 July 2026 and the one allowable during the concurrence period. What changed around it were the building codes, from the 2021 I-Codes to the 2024 I-Codes.
What is the concurrence period and when does it end?
The Division of Fire Safety states: “There is a six-month concurrence period from July 1 - December 31, 2026. During this time, permit requests can be submitted under either the 2021 or 2024 codes. Beginning January 1, 2027, all permit requests shall follow the codes below.”
Do New Hampshire amendments change the NEC?
The state amends the National Electrical Code, so the raw NFPA text is not the whole answer. The Fire Marshal's page says so itself: “[This NFPA link does not include New Hampshire amendments.]” Always read it as the 2023 NEC with New Hampshire amendments.
Does the state code apply in my town?
The Division of Fire Safety states: “The State Building Code applies in every municipality statewide and sets forth the minimum requirements for all buildings and structures.” It also states that “As of July 1, 2026, local amendments are limited to administrative matters.” Your town office still administers permits and inspections, so call them.
Is my older wiring now illegal?
A new code edition governs new permitted work; it does not automatically make an existing installation unlawful. Whether something has to be brought up to the current code on a particular job is a question for the code official reviewing that permit, so ask the town office that will review it. Call us on (603) 224-7474 and we will tell you which office to ask.
Not sure which edition your job will be reviewed under?
Call the office and tell us the town and the scope. We will tell you what we know, and which office settles it.
Irish Electric, 659 Currier Road, Hopkinton, NH 03229 · (603) 224-7474