Jackson, TN Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- 2017 NEC / NFPA 70 (§ 12-301)
- Low-voltage permit
- Required for new construction (§ 12-302)
- Fee tier 1
- $25 under $25,000 project value
- Fee tier 2
- $100 at or above $25,000
- Exclusion
- Fire alarm wiring not low-voltage permit
- General penalty
- Up to $500 for violations (§ 3-102)
Summary
The City of Jackson, Tennessee adopts the 2017 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) by reference under Jackson Municipal Code § 12-301, and § 12-302 separately requires a twenty-five-dollar ($25.00) or one-hundred-dollar ($100.00) low-voltage permit, depending on project cost, for any new residential or commercial construction.
Pursuant to authority granted by Tennessee Code Annotated, § 6-54-502, et seq., and for the purpose of regulating the construction, alteration, repair, and demolition of every building or structure, or any appurtenance connected or attached to any building or structure, the 2017 edition of the National Electrical Code (NFPA 70), of the National Fire Protection Association, excluding all appendices thereto, and containing certain modifications, is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as a part of this code of ordinances. ... A low voltage permit, which shall include phone, cable, data, with the exception of fire alarm wiring, shall be henceforth required for any new residential and/or commercial construction. All such permits shall be issued at the cost of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) when the project is less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00). When the project is twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) or greater, the permit shall be issued at a cost of one hundred dollars ($100.00).
Full Breakdown
Jackson Municipal Code § 12-301 adopts the 2017 edition of the National Electrical Code, NFPA 70, published by the National Fire Protection Association, by reference, excluding its appendices and subject to local modifications, under authority granted by Tennessee Code Annotated § 6-54-502 et seq. The adoption, carried through Ordinance #2008-033 in December 2008 and last amended by Ordinance #2021-7 in June 2021, governs the construction, alteration, repair, and demolition of every building or structure, or any appurtenance connected or attached to any building or structure, for electrical work citywide.
Beyond the general electrical permit that flows from adopting the NEC, § 12-302 layers on a separate low-voltage permit requirement, covering phone, cable and data wiring but excluding fire alarm wiring, for any new residential or commercial construction. That low-voltage permit costs twenty-five dollars ($25.00) when the project's value is under twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00), and one hundred dollars ($100.00) once the project reaches or exceeds that threshold. Enforcement runs through the Building and Housing Codes Department created by § 12-102, whose director designates the inspectors who review electrical permit applications, and disputes go to the code advisory/appeals board under § 12-103, which by design must include one master electrical contractor and one electrical engineer among its thirteen voting members so electrical questions get specialist review.
Violations & Fines
Electrical work performed without the permits required under §§ 12-301 and 12-302, including the low-voltage permit for phone, cable or data wiring, is enforced through the Building and Housing Codes Department's inspection authority and, absent a specific fine in those sections, falls to the general penalty provision, § 3-102, which lets the Jackson City Court judge impose a civil penalty up to five hundred dollars ($500.00) plus costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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