Dearborn, MI Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- 1999 NEC with MI amendments
- Permit issued by
- Building and Safety Department
- Late-application penalty
- Fee doubles or +$100
- Who may pull permit
- Licensed electrician or contractor
- Homeowner exception
- Must occupy home 1+ year
Summary
Dearborn requires a permit from the Building and Safety Department before any electrical construction, alteration, or wiring in the city, issued only to a licensed electrician or contractor under the locally adopted 1999 National Electrical Code.
It shall be unlawful for any person to do or make any electrical construction, installation, alteration, wiring or repairs in or upon any building, structure, fixtures or apparatus in the city requiring the use of electric current, without exclusion for low voltage apparatus, without first obtaining a permit therefor from the department. Applications for such permit specifying the address where the work is to be done, the owner of the premises at such address, and describing in detail the work to be done shall be made by the licensee who will do the work. A blueprint or sketch of the proposed work shall accompany the application, if requested by the inspector. The permit shall be issued only to such applicant who must be a licensee, only after the applicant has complied with all the provisions of this article, and after the application therefor has been approved by the inspector. In the event of a failure to make application for permit within 24 hours of the time work is started, the fee shall be increased by 100 percent above the amount stated in the schedule of fees hereinafter set forth or $100.00, whichever is greater. (Ord. No. 91-511, § 4.1, 2-13-91)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-07: Code: Updated through: July 22, 2026 | Zoning: Updated through: July 22, 2026).
Full Breakdown
The City of Dearborn adopted the 1999 National Electrical Code, as amended with current Michigan Electrical Board amendments, under Code of Ordinances § 5-1130. Anyone doing electrical construction, installation, alteration, wiring or repair work in the city must first get a permit from the Building and Safety Department (§ 5-1216); applying more than 24 hours after work starts doubles the fee or adds $100, whichever is greater. Only a licensed journeyman/master electrician or licensed electrical contractor may pull the permit (§ 5-1186), though an owner-occupant of a one-family home may qualify for a homeowner's permit under § 5-1218 after proving ownership and residency.
Violations & Fines
Working without a permit is unlawful under § 5-1216; using wiring before the inspector's written approval voids the certificate of occupancy and is itself a separate violation under § 5-1222.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Dearborn homeowner do their own electrical work?
What happens if I wire without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dearborn
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Electrical Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle electrical permits.