Oak Park, IL Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- 2021 National Electrical Code, by reference
- Local rule
- 1 outdoor garage receptacle, max 5.5 ft above grade
- Local rule
- Ceiling boxes near center must support paddle fans
- Public copies
- 3 kept with Chief Building Official
- Latest amendment
- Ord. 23-49 and Ord. 23-55, 6-20-2023
Summary
The Village of Oak Park adopts the National Electrical Code by reference for all electrical work, keeps copies on file with the Chief Building Official, and layers on local amendments such as a mandatory outdoor garage receptacle and grounded ceiling-fan boxes.
B. There shall be three (3) copies of the NEC kept on file for public inspection in the office of the Chief Building Official. ... 7-3-2: ... AMENDMENTS: The 2021 National Electric Code, as adopted pursuant to section 7-3-1 of this article is hereby amended by adding the underlined language and deleting the overstricken language as follows: ... Add the following sentence to Section ... 210.50 (G): Provide minimum of one receptacle outlet on the outside of each garage and not more than 1.7 m (5 ½ ft) above grade.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-9: Code current through: Ord. 26-159, passed - -2026).
Full Breakdown
Village Code Chapter 7, Article 3, Electric Code, Section 7-3-1, Adoption, is Oak Park's own adopting provision, most recently amended by Ordinance 23-49 and Ordinance 23-55 on June 20, 2023. Subsection B requires three copies of the National Electrical Code (NEC) to be kept on file for public inspection in the office of the Chief Building Official, confirming the Village enforces electrical work against the adopted NEC standard rather than a home-grown chapter. Section 7-3-2, Amendments, spells out the local changes Oak Park has layered onto the 2021 National Electric Code as adopted under Section 7-3-1.
7 meters (5 and one half feet) above grade, a specific local requirement not found in the base NEC text. 27(C) requiring that where a ceiling lighting outlet in a dwelling unit is positioned so a ceiling fan could feasibly be attached, the outlet box must be listed for sole support of a ceiling-suspended paddle fan, regardless of what the box was originally installed for. 26 confining electrical equipment clearance to the property the equipment serves or the public right-of-way. Electrical permits and inspections against this adopted-and-amended code are administered by the Village's Chief Building Official.
Violations & Fines
Electrical work performed without a permit or that fails to meet the adopted National Electrical Code as locally amended, including the required outdoor garage receptacle and ceiling-fan-rated outlet boxes, is enforced through the Village's building inspection process and is punishable under the general code penalty in Section 1-1-5: a fine of $20.00 to $750.00 per offense, each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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