DeKalb County, GA Building Safety: Electrical Permits (2026)

Chapter 7 of the DeKalb County Code sets construction standards for the unincorporated county by adoption. Section 7-51(a) requires that all new construction, installations, repairs or alterations conform to the current edition of a list of codes with Georgia amendments as adopted by the Board of Community Affairs of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs; the National Electrical Code is item (6) on that list, sitting alongside the International Building Code, the International Residential Code and Appendix G, the International Plumbing Code, the International Mechanical Code and the International Fuel Gas Code.

Because the ordinance points to the current edition as adopted by the state board, the electrical standard in force updates automatically when the state adopts a newer edition rather than staying frozen to one code year. Section 7-30(a) adds the permitting layer: a permit is required before electrical work begins, with ordinary repairs excepted, and the county building official enforces the standard through inspection before sign-off. These rules reach only unincorporated DeKalb; Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Tucker, Stonecrest, Decatur, Chamblee, Doraville, Clarkston, Avondale Estates, Lithonia, Pine Lake and Stone Mountain each issue their own electrical permits under their own codes.