NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE (NEC®)
STYLE MANUAL
CHAPTER 1 GENERAL
1.1 Purpose. The National Electrical Code (NEC) Style Manual is prepared under the
guidance of the NEC Technical Correlating Committee and is used to advise members of
the Code-Making Panels on the required editorial style and arrangement of the NEC. It is
intended to be used as a practical working tool to assist in making the NEC as clear,
usable, and unambiguous as possible.
1.2 Scope. This Manual provides editorial and administrative requirements for writing
the National Electrical Code® (NFPA 70) and the Standard for Electrical Safety in the
Workplace (NFPA 70E). Except as otherwise specified in this manual, the NEC® and the
Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace shall comply with the Manual of Style for
NFPA Technical Committee Documents.
1.2.1 Requirements Not Included. The NEC Style Manual does not include
many purely editorial and stylistic matters, including, but not limited to, the formatting of
tables, capitalization practices, use of hyphens, and units of measurement. For
information on these editorial guidelines, see the Manual of Style for NFPA Technical
Committee Documents..
1.2.2 Format. The NEC is formatted differently from other NFPA standards.
Examples of these differences include, but are not limited to, arrangement of the
document, its internal numbering system, and use of informational notes. The Secretary
of the NEC Technical Correlating Committee shall be responsible for recommending to
the NEC Technical Correlating Committee resolutions of any apparent conflicts or
discrepancies between the Manual of Style for NFPA Technical Committee Documents
and this manual.
1.3 Regulatory Adoption. Because the National Electrical Code is intended to be
suitable for adoption as a regulatory document, it is important that it contain clearly
stated mandatory requirements in the Code text. This should encourage uniform adoption
of the National Electrical Code without alterations.
1.4 Examples. The examples shown throughout this manual are intended to be
representative of the style and arrangement of the text. The actual text used in the
example may or may not match the current document text.