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Home / Code Guides / GFCI Protection

Where GFCI Outlets Are Required — The NEC 210.8 Location List

GFCI protection is location-driven: the NEC lists the places in a dwelling where receptacles must be GFCI-protected, and the list has grown nearly every code cycle. These are the 125-volt through 250-volt receptacle locations under NEC 210.8(A).

RequirementModel Code StandardSection
BathroomsAll receptaclesNEC 210.8(A)(1)
Garages & accessory buildingsAll receptaclesNEC 210.8(A)(2)
OutdoorsAll receptacles up to 50ANEC 210.8(A)(3)
Crawl spaces & unfinished basementsAll receptaclesNEC 210.8(A)(4), (5)
KitchensAll countertop receptacles — and under the 2023 NEC, all kitchen receptaclesNEC 210.8(A)(6)
SinksReceptacles within 6 ft of the top inside edge of any sink bowlNEC 210.8(A)
Laundry areasAll receptaclesNEC 210.8(A)
Specific appliancesGFCI required for listed appliance circuits including dishwashers and, in the 2023 cycle, ranges and dryers within specified conditionsNEC 210.8(D)

Worth knowing

  • GFCI protection can be at the breaker or the first receptacle in the circuit — downstream receptacles are protected through the LOAD terminals.
  • AFCI (arc-fault) protection is a separate requirement covering most habitable-room branch circuits (NEC 210.12); many locations now need both.
  • Which NEC edition applies depends on your state’s adoption — several states remain on the 2017 or 2020 NEC, where the appliance list is shorter.
  • Replacement receptacles in locations that now require GFCI must be GFCI-protected even in old houses (NEC 406.4(D)).
This guide is BuildSpec’s own summary, not code text. It cites the 2021 International Residential Code and the 2023 National Electrical Code as model standards. The IRC 2021 text itself is in the Code Library for signed-in members; BuildSpec publishes no NEC text, which is at nfpa.org. Neither is an adoption record: your state may be on a different edition with amendments — check your jurisdiction page or get an Address Report.
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