# Which NEC Applies in DFW? Electrical Code by City (2026) > Texas adopted the 2026 NEC on Sept 1, 2026. Fort Worth enforces 2026; Grand Prairie and Mansfield list 2023. What each edition means for your permit. URL: https://clementselectric.com/blog/texas-electrical-code-nec-edition-dfw-cities --- - Licensed & Insured — Electrical Contractor TECL #40628, Master Electrician #214180 | Call Today: 817-803-4444 | Same-Day Service Available SERVICES GENERATORS FINANCING About Us CONTACT Book Online 817-803-4444 817-803-4444 Home Blog Which Electrical Code Applies in DFW? NEC Editions by City (2026) Electrical Repairs # Which Electrical Code Applies in DFW? NEC Editions by City (2026) Curtis Wood 2026-09-19 7 min read Texas adopted the 2026 National Electrical Code as the state electrical code effective September 1, 2026. Your inspector, though, enforces your city's adopted edition. Fort Worth has adopted the 2026 NEC, Grand Prairie and Mansfield list the 2023 NEC on their city websites, and Arlington's current edition should be confirmed with the city. Licensed & Insured Same-Day Service Veteran-Owned Written Quotes Texas adopted the 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC) as the state electrical code effective September 1, 2026. The edition your inspector enforces, though, is the one your city has adopted. As of September 2026, Fort Worth enforces the 2026 NEC, Grand Prairie and Mansfield list the 2023 NEC on their city websites, and Arlington's current edition should be confirmed with the city before a permit is pulled. The state change came from the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation, which amended the electricians rule (16 TAC §73.100) to adopt the 2026 NEC with one Texas modification, covering GFCI protection for certain outdoor outlets ( TDLR, Commission Adopts Rules ). ## Which NEC edition does each DFW city use? Jurisdiction NEC edition Effective State of Texas (TDLR) 2026 NEC Sept 1, 2026 Fort Worth 2026 NEC Sept 1, 2026 Grand Prairie 2023 NEC Dec 12, 2023 Mansfield 2023 NEC Adopted 2024 Arlington Check with the city Not confirmed Each row comes from that jurisdiction's own published source, checked on September 19, 2026. Fort Worth's building codes page says the city "has adopted the 2026 National Electrical Code effective September 1, 2026" ( City of Fort Worth, Building & Energy Codes ). Grand Prairie's council adopted the 2023 NEC on December 12, 2023 ( City of Grand Prairie adoption notice ). Mansfield's codes page says the city adopted the 2023 NEC in 2024 ( City of Mansfield, Building Information & Codes ). For Arlington, the most recent source we could open was a September 2022 city release proposing the 2020 NEC. That is too old to rely on, so we have not guessed. Call Arlington's building inspections office, or ask your electrician which edition their permit will be inspected to. Cities update these pages when they adopt new codes, so check again before starting a project. ## Why doesn't every city use the same edition as the state? Texas law has two layers. The state adopts each new NEC as the electrical code for Texas after the NFPA publishes it every three years ( Texas Occupations Code §1305.101 ). Cities may adopt local amendments to the NEC and handle administration and enforcement, and electrical work inside city limits "must be installed in accordance with all applicable local ordinances" ( §1305.201 ). Cities adopt by ordinance, on their own schedules. Texas moved to the 2023 edition on September 1, 2023, and Grand Prairie's council adopted it that December. That gap is why the same kind of job can be inspected under different editions in neighboring cities. Outside city limits, in the unincorporated parts of Johnson, Ellis or Tarrant County, the statute says work must meet standards "at least as stringent as the requirements of the state electrical code" (§1305.201(e)). ## What does the code edition mean for my permit? Permitted work is inspected against the edition your city enforces, plus any local amendments. - The edition matters when work is done. Adopting a new code does not send an inspector to a house nobody is working on. - Panel replacements, service upgrades, new circuits, generators and EV chargers are permitted jobs, and the inspector checks the new work against the current rules. - Your contractor should be able to name the edition the job will be inspected to. If they can't, ask why. You can confirm any Texas electrical contractor's license on TDLR's license search . Ours is TECL #40628. - For what the permit itself involves, see our Texas panel permit guide . ## What changed for GFCI protection? Kitchens changed in the 2023 NEC. GFCI protection used to cover only the receptacles serving countertops. It was expanded to all 125–250 V kitchen receptacles on circuits of 150 V to ground or less ( Leviton, Captain Code 2023 ). In a Grand Prairie or Mansfield kitchen remodel, that includes receptacles away from the counter. Outdoor outlets are the change most Texas homeowners will hear about. The 2026 NEC's Section 210.8(F) requires GFCI protection, with exceptions, for outdoor outlets at dwelling units on single-phase branch circuits rated 150 V or less to ground and 60 A or less ( UL Solutions ). The 2023 edition exempted listed HVAC equipment from the outdoor-outlet rule, but only until September 1, 2026 ( Leviton, Captain Code 2023 ). That is where Texas made its one change. In adopting the 2026 NEC, TDLR kept Exception No. 2 to 210.8(F), the exemption for listed heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, and removed its expiration date ( Texas Register, TDLR proposed rules, March 2026 ). At the state level, a listed outdoor AC condenser does not need GFCI protection under this exception. Other outdoor outlets generally do. Your city's own amendments can still differ. If a GFCI outlet keeps cutting power to other outlets in your house, this guide to dead outlets explains why. ## What about AFCI protection? Arc-fault protection is not new to any of these editions. The NEC requires AFCI protection on nearly all 120 V branch circuits in living spaces, including bedrooms, living and dining areas, kitchens, laundry areas, hallways and closets ( Leviton, AFCI code requirements ). What it means for your job depends on which circuits are being added or changed, so ask for it to be spelled out in the quote. If an AFCI breaker keeps tripping, our tripping-breaker guide covers the common causes. ## Does the code edition affect generator permits? Yes, like any permitted job. Since September 1, 2025, Texas has also allowed a qualified third party to do the plan review and inspection for home backup power. Our SB 1202 explainer covers what that law does and doesn't change. Not sure which code your project falls under? We pull the permit and build to the edition your city enforces. Same-day service, 7 AM to 7 PM Monday through Friday. Licensed Texas Electrical Contractor TECL #40628. Call 817-803-4444 Electrical Repairs & Wiring ## Texas electrical code questions What edition of the National Electrical Code does Texas use in 2026? The 2026 NEC. The Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation adopted it as the state electrical code effective September 1, 2026, with one Texas modification: listed HVAC equipment keeps its exemption from the outdoor-outlet GFCI rule in Section 210.8(F), with no expiration date. Cities can adopt local amendments and adopt on their own schedules, so check which edition your city enforces. Does Fort Worth use the 2026 NEC? Yes. The City of Fort Worth's building codes page says the city adopted the 2026 National Electrical Code effective September 1, 2026. Electrical work permitted in Fort Worth is inspected to that edition plus the city's local amendments. Which electrical code do Grand Prairie and Mansfield use? Both list the 2023 NEC on their websites. Grand Prairie's council adopted it on December 12, 2023, and Mansfield says it adopted the 2023 NEC in 2024. Those pages were current when we checked on September 19, 2026. Cities update their codes, so confirm with the building department before you start. Do I have to update my house when a new NEC edition is adopted? Not just because a new edition was adopted. The edition matters when you have permitted work done, such as a panel replacement, new circuits, a generator or an EV charger. That work is inspected against the edition your city enforces, and the inspector checks the new work against current requirements. Which electrical code applies outside city limits in Texas? In unincorporated areas, Texas Occupations Code §1305.201(e) requires electrical work to meet standards at least as stringent as the state electrical code. The state code is the 2026 NEC as of September 1, 2026. This matters for rural addresses in Johnson, Ellis and Tarrant counties outside any city. Want an electrician to look at this? Name Phone What’s going on? (optional) Do not fill this in Request a same-day callback No obligation. 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