| IBC — International Building Code | 2021 IBC WITH NAMED 2024 IBC SECTIONS SPLICED IN — NOT a plain 2021 adoption and NOT a 2024 adoption. Ala. Admin. Code r. 355-12-1-.01(1)(a) reads "2021 - International Building Code, with the following exceptions:" and then substitutes specific 2024 IBC provisions (see amendments). AND THE SCOPE IS NARROW: this is the ALABAMA STATE BUILDING CODE, which by r. 355-12-1-.04 reaches ONLY state buildings, schoolhouses, hotels of 15+ bedrooms and moving picture theaters. ALABAMA HAS NO GENERAL STATEWIDE COMMERCIAL BUILDING CODE FOR ORDINARY PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION — that is local. A future run must NOT read this row as "Alabama: 2021 IBC statewide". | Ala. Admin. Code r. 355-12-1-.01(1)(a) (Adopted Standard Codes), with r. 355-12-1-.04 (Applicability) and r. 355-12-1-.05 (Precedence of Codes); Alabama Building Commission / Division of Construction Management. Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, ss 21-4-3, 41-4-435, 41-4-400, 41-9-161, 41-9-171. Chapter amended and effective March 17, 2025. · source ↗ |
| IEBC — International Existing Building Code | 2021 IEBC — adopted flat, with NO exceptions, by the Alabama Building Commission / Division of Construction Management at Ala. Admin. Code r. 355-12-1-.01(1)(b). SCOPE IS NARROW, per r. 355-12-1-.04: the Alabama State Building Code reaches ONLY state buildings, schoolhouses, hotels of 15 or more bedrooms and moving picture theaters. ALABAMA HAS NO GENERAL STATEWIDE EXISTING-BUILDING CODE FOR ORDINARY PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION — that is local. NOT the 2024 IEBC. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 355-12-1-.01(1)(b) (Adopted Standard Codes), Alabama Building Commission / Division of Construction Management, READ FIRST-HAND 2026-09-26 FROM THE ALABAMA LEGISLATURE'S OWN ADMINISTRATIVE CODE API. ENTRY VERBATIM: "2021 – International Existing Building Code". List introduced, VERBATIM: "The minimum building standard code adopted by the Division of Construction Management is the 2021 International Building Code." SCOPE, r. 355-12-1-.04 (Applicability): state buildings, schoolhouses, hotels with 15 or more bedrooms, and movie theaters. CONFLICTS, r. 355-12-1-.05 (Precedence of Codes), VERBATIM: "In case of conflict between the State Building Code, local codes, the Life Safety Code enforced by the State Fire Marshal, or other codes, the most stringent requirements shall prevail." Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, ss 21-4-3, 41-4-435, 41-4-400, 41-9-161, 41-9-171. Chapter history: repealed and replaced 1997-08-29 (eff. 1997-10-03), amended through 2025-01-31, EFFECTIVE 2025-03-17. · source ↗ |
| IECC — International Energy Conservation Code | 2015 IECC — BOTH HALVES, AND THEY ARE TWO SEPARATE RULES. RESIDENTIAL: "The 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) as modified below" (Ala. Admin. Code r. 305-2-4-.10, Residential Energy Code), with 27 Alabama modifications enumerated in the amendments field. COMMERCIAL: r. 305-2-4-.08 gives a CHOICE OF TWO COMPLIANCE PATHS, verbatim: "Either the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code or the ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2013 shall be implemented and enforced for commercial buildings." NOT 2021 AND NOT 2024. ALABAMA HAS NOT MOVED ITS ENERGY CODE SINCE THE 2017 AMENDMENT AND IS THREE I-CODE CYCLES BEHIND. The pre-existing row said bare "2015" with no half named, no modification list, no effective date and a landing-page source; the edition year was right and everything else was missing. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 305-2-4-.10 (Residential Energy Code) and r. 305-2-4-.08 (Commercial Energy Code), Alabama Energy and Residential Codes Board; authority Code of Ala. 1975, ss 41-23-80 through 41-23-85, as amended · source ↗ |
| IFC — | 2021 IFC — the 2021 edition of the International Fire Code, adopted by reference by the ALABAMA STATE FIRE MARSHAL at Ala. Admin. Code r. 482-2-101-.02, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2025. Adopting text verbatim: "Except as specifically provided in paragraph (2), the 2021 edition of the International Fire Code(R) and Appendices B, C, D, E, and M, as promulgated by the International Code Council(R), are adopted by reference as a regulation" of the State Fire Marshal. NOT 2024: the 2024 IFC is NOT adopted in Alabama. THE EDITION IS ONLY HALF THE ANSWER — WHAT IS ADOPTED IS A PARTIAL CODE. Part 2 of Chapter 1 ("Administration and Enforcement") is expressly NOT adopted, so the model code's own administration, permitting and enforcement machinery is NOT Alabama law; enforcement authority comes from Ala. Code 1975 ss 27-2-17 and 36-19-9 and the Fire Marshal's own regulations instead. Serving IFC Chapter 1 Part 2 as Alabama law would be wrong. This is the FIRE code only; Alabama's building codes sit with the Alabama Building Commission (DCM) and its energy/residential codes with the Alabama Energy and Residential Codes Board under Ala. Code 41-23-80 — three separate programs, three separate editions. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 482-2-101-.02 (Adoption of International Fire Code (2021 Ed.); Exceptions); authority Code of Ala. 1975, ss 27-2-17 and 36-19-9 · source ↗ |
| IFGC — International Fuel Gas Code | 2021 IFGC — adopted flat, with NO exceptions, by the Alabama Building Commission / Division of Construction Management at Ala. Admin. Code r. 355-12-1-.01(1)(d). SCOPE IS NARROW, per r. 355-12-1-.04: the Alabama State Building Code reaches ONLY state buildings, schoolhouses, hotels of 15 or more bedrooms and moving picture theaters. ALABAMA HAS NO GENERAL STATEWIDE FUEL GAS CODE FOR ORDINARY PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION — that is local. *** AND THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE IS ON A DIFFERENT AND OLDER FUEL GAS TEXT: Ala. Admin. Code r. 305-2-4-.09 adopts the 2015 IRC as modified and carries its own modification to IRC Chapter 24 at Section G2412.9 (pipe identification). So fuel gas in Alabama is 2021 IFGC for state-jurisdiction buildings and 2015 IRC Chapter 24 as the residential baseline. NOT the 2024 IFGC. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 355-12-1-.01(1)(d) (Adopted Standard Codes), Alabama Building Commission / Division of Construction Management, READ FIRST-HAND 2026-09-26 FROM THE ALABAMA LEGISLATURE'S OWN ADMINISTRATIVE CODE API. ENTRY VERBATIM: "2021 – International Fuel Gas Code". List introduced, VERBATIM: "The minimum building standard code adopted by the Division of Construction Management is the 2021 International Building Code." SCOPE, r. 355-12-1-.04 (Applicability): state buildings, schoolhouses, hotels with 15 or more bedrooms, and movie theaters. CONFLICTS, r. 355-12-1-.05 (Precedence of Codes), VERBATIM: "In case of conflict between the State Building Code, local codes, the Life Safety Code enforced by the State Fire Marshal, or other codes, the most stringent requirements shall prevail." Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, ss 21-4-3, 41-4-435, 41-4-400, 41-9-161, 41-9-171. Chapter history: repealed and replaced 1997-08-29 (eff. 1997-10-03), amended through 2025-01-31, EFFECTIVE 2025-03-17. RESIDENTIAL CROSS-REFERENCE, ALSO READ TODAY: r. 305-2-4-.09 (2015 IRC as modified) modifies IRC Section G2412.9 on pipe identification; authority Code of Ala. 1975, ss 41-23-80 thru 41-23-85. · source ↗ |
| IMC — International Mechanical Code | 2021 IMC | Ala. Admin. Code r. 355-12-1-.01(1)(e) (Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 21-4-3, 41-4-435, 41-4-400, 41-9-161, 41-9-171) · source ↗ |
| IPC — International Plumbing Code | 2021 IPC | Ala. Admin. Code r. 355-12-1-.01(1)(c) (Adopted Standard Codes); authority Code of Ala. 1975, ss 21-4-3, 41-4-435, 41-4-400, 41-9-161, 41-9-171 · source ↗ |
| IRC — International Residential Code | 2015 IRC | Ala. Admin. Code r. 305-2-4-.09 (Ala. Code 41-23-80 thru 41-23-85) · source ↗ |
| NEC — National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) | 2020 NEC (NFPA 70) — AND THE SCOPE IS NARROW, WHICH MATTERS MORE HERE THAN THE YEAR. This is the ALABAMA STATE BUILDING CODE electrical entry, adopted by the Alabama Building Commission / Division of Construction Management at Ala. Admin. Code r. 355-12-1-.01(1)(f), and by r. 355-12-1-.04 it reaches ONLY state buildings, schoolhouses, hotels of 15 or more bedrooms and moving picture theaters. ALABAMA HAS NO GENERAL STATEWIDE ELECTRICAL CODE FOR ORDINARY PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION — that is local. *** AND ALABAMA'S RESIDENTIAL SIDE IS ON A DIFFERENT AND FAR OLDER NEC: Ala. Admin. Code r. 305-2-4-.09, the Residential Code, modifies IRC Section R3401.1 to permit work "NFPA 70-2008 or in compliance with the 2008 National Electric Code". SO THE ANSWER TO "WHAT ELECTRICAL CODE APPLIES IN ALABAMA" IS 2020 NEC FOR STATE-JURISDICTION BUILDINGS, 2008 NEC AS THE RESIDENTIAL-CODE BASELINE, AND WHATEVER THE MUNICIPALITY ADOPTED FOR EVERYTHING ELSE — A TWELVE-YEAR SPREAD INSIDE ONE STATE ON ONE CODE TYPE. NOT the 2023 or 2026 NEC. | Ala. Admin. Code r. 355-12-1-.01(1)(f) (Adopted Standard Codes), Alabama Building Commission / Division of Construction Management, READ FIRST-HAND 2026-09-26 FROM THE ALABAMA LEGISLATURE'S OWN ADMINISTRATIVE CODE API. The entry is printed VERBATIM as "2020 - National Electrical Code (NFPA 70)", with no exceptions attached to it — unlike the sibling IMC entry at (1)(e), which reads "2021 - International Mechanical Code, with the following exceptions:" and then splices in 2024 provisions. The list is introduced, VERBATIM: "The minimum building standard code adopted by the Division of Construction Management is the 2021 International Building Code." SCOPE, from r. 355-12-1-.04 (Applicability): the State Building Code applies to state buildings, schoolhouses, hotels with 15 or more bedrooms, and movie theaters. CONFLICTS, from r. 355-12-1-.05 (Precedence of Codes), VERBATIM: "In case of conflict between the State Building Code, local codes, the Life Safety Code enforced by the State Fire Marshal, or other codes, the most stringent requirements shall prevail." Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, ss 21-4-3, 41-4-435, 41-4-400, 41-9-161, 41-9-171. Chapter history: repealed and replaced 1997-08-29 (eff. 1997-10-03), amended repeatedly through 2025-01-31, EFFECTIVE 2025-03-17. RESIDENTIAL CROSS-REFERENCE, ALSO READ FIRST-HAND TODAY: r. 305-2-4-.09 modifies IRC R3401.1 to allow "NFPA 70-2008 or in compliance with the 2008 National Electric Code". · source ↗ |