517.17 Ground-fault protection (health care)
What changed in 517.17
Ground-fault protection testing in health care facilities must now be done by a qualified person following the equipment instructions, with results available to the inspector.
Point by point
- Every level of ground-fault protection still has to be performance tested when it's first installed.
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Get the whole breakdown
- 3 more points on exactly what changed
- The 2017 rule next to the 2020 rule, side by side
- Why it changed
- What to do and check on the job
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This section across NEC® editions
2020 NEC®RevisedYou're here
Ground-fault protection testing in health care facilities must now be done by a qualified person following the equipment instructions, with results available to the inspector.
2023 NEC®No change
This section did not change from 2020 to 2023.
2026 NEC®Revised
Health care GFPE in 517.17 was rewritten: automatic-trip GFPE isn't required from on-site sources up to essential system transfer switches or on their load side, and every on-site source now needs ground-fault indication.
Open the 2026 page →More 2020 changes in Article 517
This is a plain-English summary, not the NEC®'s exact wording. Always check the full section in the NEC® edition your area has adopted, plus any local amendments.
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