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406.12 Tamper-Resistant Receptacles

Revision and New

Change Summary

  • In addition to the areas requiring TR receptacle requirements brought forward from the 2017 NEC (with revisions), common areas of multifamily dwellings and common areas of guest rooms and guest suites of hotels and motels were also added and clarified as to TR receptacle requirements. Attached and detached garages and accessory buildings to dwelling units were clarified as areas needing to meet TR receptacle requirements. A new List Item (8) was added to the TR receptacle requirements pertaining to assisted living facilities.
NEC® Text

406.12 Tamper-Resistant Receptacles.
All 15- and 20-ampere, 125- and 250-volt nonlocking-type receptacles in the areas specified in 406.12(1) through (7) (8) shall be listed tamper-resistant receptacles.
(1) Dwelling units, in all areas including attached and detached garages and accessory buildings to dwelling units, and common areas of multifamily dwellings specified in 210.52 and 550.13
(2) Guest rooms and guest suites of hotels, and motels, and their common areas
(3) Child care facilities
(4) Preschools and elementary education facilities
(5) Business offices, corridors, waiting rooms and the like in clinics, medical and dental offices, and outpatient facilities
(6) Subset of assembly occupancies described in 518.2 to include places of awaiting transportation, gymnasiums, skating rinks, and auditoriums
(7) Dormitories Dormitory units
(8) Assisted living facilities
Informational Note No. 1: This requirement would include receptacles identified as 5-15, 5-20, 6-15, and 6-20 in ANSI/NEMA WD 6-2016, Wiring Devices — Dimensional Specifications.
Informational Note No. 2: Assisted living facilities are Institutional Use Group I-1 per IBC 2015.
Exception to (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), and (7) and (8): Receptacles in the following locations shall not be required to be tamper resistant:
(1) Receptacles located more than 1.7 m (5 1⁄2 ft) above the floor
(2) Receptacles that are part of a luminaire or appliance
(3) A single receptacle, or a duplex receptacle for two appliances, located within the dedicated space for each appliance that, in normal use, is not easily moved from one place to another and that is cord-and-plug-connected in accordance with 400.10(A)(6), (A)(7), or (A)(8)(4) Nongrounding receptacles used for replacements as permitted in 406.4(D)(2)(a)

Material taken from the National Electric Code® is reprinted with permission from NFPA 70®, 2020 edition.
National Electrical Code®, Copyright 2019, National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA. All rights reserved.

Expert Analysis

For the 2020 NEC, 406.12 received more revision and a new List Item (8) was added covering TR receptacles for assisted living facilities. One of the first revisions at 406.12 was to clarify that attached and detached garages and accessory buildings to dwelling units are indeed subject to the same TR receptacle requirements of the main dwelling unit themselves. Common areas of multifamily dwellings and common areas of guest rooms and guest suites of hotels and motels were also added and clarified as to TR receptacle requirements. With past editions of the Code, some installers and inspectors alike have erroneously interpreted 406.12 to not include these accessory areas and common areas in areas covered by TR receptacle requirements.

406.12 Tamper-Resistant Receptacles

At 406.12(4), the word “elementary” was removed leaving the term “preschools and education facilities” as places requiring TR receptacles. With many educational facilities being built and used as “multi-use” it is difficult for the AHJ to determine what age group of students will be utilizing the space.

The word “Dormitories” was changed to “Dormitory units” at 406.12(7) to match the newly defined term now found in Article 100: “a building or a space in a building in which group sleeping accommodations are provided for more than 16 persons who are not members of the same family in one room, or a series of closely associated rooms, under joint occupancy and single management, with or without meals, but without individual cooking facilities.”

A new List Item (8) was added to the TR receptacle requirements pertaining to assisted living facilities. These units for the elderly are residential units and the same level of personal protection is needed for the elderly residents who reside in these units. It is also not uncommon for small children and grandchildren to visit these facilities. This fact alone is reason enough to facilitate the need for TR receptacles in these living quarters.

Leviton Solution
Leviton tamper-resistant receptacles, have proven effective in preventing electrical injuries resulting from foreign objects being inserted into receptacles. Available residential and commercial grade in 15- and 20-Amp, 125-Volt, Duplex and Decora® in several colors.

406.12 Tamper-Resistant Receptacles

     Cat. No. T6525               Cat. No. TR5320               Cat. No. GFNT1-W

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