A professional perspective on the unintended consequences of the 2026 NEC proposal
My neighbor George is the kind of guy who’d rather fix things himself than call in a pro. His Rivian R1T sits proudly in the driveway every night, hooked up to a sleek wall-mounted home charger he installed on his own. He’s not a licensed electrician, but as an experienced engineer, he carefully studied local codes, pulled a permit, and passed the final inspection. The whole job cost him under $800. Hiring a professional would’ve easily doubled or tripled that.
But that sense of pride and independence? It might soon become illegal.
A proposed change to the 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC) includes a new requirement: “Permanently installed electric vehicle power transfer system equipment shall be installed by qualified persons.” The term “qualified” isn’t clearly defined—but make no mistake, states will likely interpret it as “licensed electricians only.” If this language survives a critical vote at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) annual meeting on June 20, 2025, it will go into effect as soon as individual states adopt the new code.
Here’s the kicker: banning DIY EV charger installs doesn’t mean people will stop doing them. It just means they’ll do them without permits and inspections—the exact safeguards that actually make installations safe.
Let’s be real: Americans are no strangers to home projects. They install ceiling fans, water heaters, even 240V ovens. As long as it’s done with a permit and a final inspection, it's not just legal—it’s often safe. But by banning DIY EV charger installs, the new code could push homeowners underground. And that’s where things get risky.
That’s exactly what Rivian, Emporia, the Electric Vehicle Charging Association, and other industry stakeholders are warning about. In a letter to the NFPA, they wrote:
"Article 625.4 creates a new barrier to getting a permit and provides a perverse incentive for the homeowner to lie and say they are installing a receptacle for a non-EV purpose.”
Here’s how the workaround might go: a homeowner installs a NEMA 14-50 outlet, tells the inspector it’s for a welder, gets the sign-off, and then plugs in their EV charger. Mission accomplished—but safety inspection avoided.
Worse still, this restriction might push more people to opt for plug-in chargers instead of safer hardwired ones. Ask any charging expert, and they’ll tell you: hardwiring is more stable and less prone to overheating. But with tighter rules, homeowners may avoid that route just to steer clear of scrutiny.
And it doesn’t end there.
Another proposed NEC change requires a five-milliamp GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) on every EV charging circuit—on top of the safety systems already built into chargers. In theory, that’s extra protection. In practice? It could lead to constant, unnecessary tripping, especially with outdoor setups exposed to moisture or minor ground faults.
Imagine your EV stops charging overnight because of a “nuisance trip,” and the GFCI reset switch is behind a locked door—or worse, at a public charging station. Tesla, Rivian, ChargePoint, EVgo, and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation have all signed letters opposing this change, saying it’s not only redundant but could hurt EV adoption by making charging less reliable.
Now back to George. When I told him about all of this, he frowned and said, “I get that they want to make things safer. But if this makes people hide what they’re doing, haven’t we just made things less safe?”
That question hits at the core of this whole debate.
What does “qualified” really mean? Is it just a license? Or is it about knowledge, responsibility, and a willingness to follow proper procedures?
Because safety doesn’t come from a certificate alone. It comes from open, transparent, and verifiable processes. And by raising the barrier to legal, permitted installations, the NEC might just be encouraging homeowners to take the exact shortcuts that the rule was meant to prevent.
On June 20, NFPA members will vote on the future of home EV charging across America. Let’s hope they vote not just with bureaucracy in mind—but with common sense, real-world behavior, and practical safety as the top priority.