230.85 Emergency disconnect
What changed in 230.85
The outdoor emergency disconnect rule got more detail: on the house or within sight of it, required when service equipment is replaced, a directory for other power sources, and red-and-white labels with 1/2 in letters.
Point by point
- Still a must at one- and two-family homes, outdoors and readily accessible, and now spelled out as on the house or within sight.
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- 4 more points on exactly what changed
- The 2020 rule next to the 2023 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®New
One- and two-family dwellings now need an emergency disconnect outside the house.
Open the 2020 page →2023 NEC®RevisedYou're here
The outdoor emergency disconnect rule got more detail: on the house or within sight of it, required when service equipment is replaced, a directory for other power sources, and red-and-white labels with 1/2 in letters.
2026 NEC®Revised
Found at 230.70 in the 2026 NEC®.
At one- and two-family homes, the service disconnect itself now has to be outside, replacing the separate emergency disconnect rule that was in 230.85.
Open the 2026 page →More 2023 changes in Article 230
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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