Kingsport, TN Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)

Section 22-121 adopts the National Electrical Code, 2017 edition, published by the National Fire Protection Association, by reference. One copy stays on file in the office of the city recorder for public use, inspection and examination. Section 22-145 then bars any person from doing work within the scope of that code without a permit issued by the recorder.

The application path runs through two offices. Under Section 22-148, permits for electrical work are issued only by the recorder, upon receipt of an application issued by the building official, and the building official can require detailed plans or drawings showing the work the permit will cover. No permit is issued for work that does not or will not comply with the article or any other applicable law or ordinance.

Fees are set by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen (Section 22-146). Section 22-147 lets the building official add charges under the established fee schedule for any addition to a permitted job or for work knowingly or unknowingly left out of the application.

Homeowners get a limited privilege in Section 22-122: a homeowner can install or maintain electrical work within his own property boundaries if he does the work himself and it is used exclusively by him or his family. The section adds that this privilege does not exempt the owner from obtaining a permit and paying the required fees.

The trade itself is licensed. Section 22-222 says no person shall practice the electrical trade without a license issued by the recorder, and an electrician employed by an itinerant company operating a stage show, circus or similar entertainment need not hold the license but must purchase the required electrical permit.

A person aggrieved by a condemnation or permit denial has five days after written notice to petition the city manager, who decides within three days (Section 22-154).