San Bernardino County, CA Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- 2025 California Electrical Code
- Base standard
- 2023 NEC
- Administering office
- Building and Safety Division
- Applies to
- unincorporated area only
- Citation
- County Code § 63.0201
Summary
San Bernardino County enforces the 2025 California Electrical Code (based on the 2023 NEC) for all electrical work in the unincorporated area, requiring permits before wiring, panels, or fixtures go in.
A copy of the National Electrical Code, 2023 Edition, prepared and published by the National Fire Protection Association, with state amendments, also known as the 2025 California Electrical Code, contained in Part 3 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, having been filed in the Office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors of San Bernardino County, is hereby designated and adopted by reference as the Electrical Code for the unincorporated area of San Bernardino County, State of California.
Full Breakdown
The Building and Safety Division of the County's Land Use Services Department enforces the 2025 California Electrical Code, adopted from the 2023 National Electrical Code with California amendments (Cal. Code Regs. tit. 24, pt. 3), for unincorporated communities from the Cajon Pass to the Mojave and Morongo Basin. New wiring, service panel changes, subpanels, and added circuits need a permit and inspection under the adopted code before the work can be covered or energized. The ordinance also adopts NFPA electrical Annexes A through I by reference.
Violations & Fines
Electrical work in the unincorporated county without the required permit and inspection violates the adopted 2025 California Electrical Code and the County Building Code; unpermitted work can be ordered exposed for inspection or removed at the owner's expense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which electrical code applies in San Bernardino County?
Does the county code cover cities like Ontario or Fontana?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino County to another location·View the California building safety overview
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