FAQ

37
Material taken from the National Electric Code
®
is reprinted with permission
from NFPA 70
®
, 2023 edition. National Electrical Code
®
, Copyright 2022,
National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA. All rights reserved.
NEC
®
Text
Article 210 Branch Circuits Not Over 1000 Volts ac,
1500 Volts dc, Nominal
210.70 Lighting Outlets Required.
(A) Dwelling Units.
(2) Additional Locations.
Additional lighting outlets shall be installed in accordance
with the following:
(1) At least one lighting outlet controlled by a listed
wall-mounted control device shall be installed in hallways,
stairways, attached garages, detached garages, and accessory
buildings with electric power.
(2) For dwelling units, attached garages, and detached
garages with electric power, at least one exterior lighting
outlet controlled by a listed wall-mounted control device
shall be installed to provide illumination on the exterior
side of outdoor entrances or exits with grade-level access.
A vehicle door in a garage shall not be considered as an
outdoor entrance or exit.
Exception to (2): For an outdoor, grade bulkhead door with stairway access
to a sub-grade-level basement, the required lighting outlet that provides
illumination on the stairway steps shall be permitted to be located in the
basement interior within 1.5 m (5 ft) horizontally of the bottommost stairway
riser. This interior lighting outlet shall be permitted to be controlled by a
listed wall-mounted control device or by a unit switch of the interior luminaire
or interior lampholder.
(3) Where lighting outlets are installed for an interior
stairway with six or more risers between oor levels, there
shall be a listed wall-mounted control device at each oor
level and at each landing level that includes a stairway entry
to control the lighting outlets.
Exception to (1), (2), and (3): Remote, central, or automatic control of
lighting shall be permitted in hallways, in stairways, and at
outdoor entrances.
(4) Dimmer control of lighting outlets installed in
accordance with 210.70(A)(2)(3) shall not be permitted
unless the listed control devices can provide dimming
control to maximum brightness at each control location for
the interior stairway illumination.
continued on page 38