10.4 Michigan Amendments & Key 2023 NEC Changes Enforced in Michigan
Key Takeaways
- Michigan amended NEC 230.85 so that the emergency disconnect for a one- or two-family dwelling must be installed in a readily accessible outdoor location on or within sight of the dwelling unit, and each disconnect must be a service disconnect.
- The Michigan-amended 230.85 marking is 'EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, SERVICE DISCONNECT' — the state removed the multiple marking options that appear in the unamended NEC text.
- Surge protection is required for feeders and services under 215.18, 225.42, and 230.67 of the 2023 Michigan Electrical Code for dwelling units, dormitory units, guest rooms and guest suites of hotels and motels, and patient sleeping rooms of nursing homes and limited-care facilities.
- Section 225.41 requires the feeder emergency disconnect for a one- or two-family dwelling supplied by a feeder to be located on or within sight of the dwelling unit, paralleling the 230.85 service rule.
- Michigan licensees were required to complete a board-approved code-update course covering the 2023 NEC changes and the Part 8 amendments, with continuing education tracked through CE Broker.
10.4 Michigan Amendments & Key 2023 NEC Changes Enforced in Michigan
Exam Focus: The Michigan-amended 230.85 emergency disconnect and its exact marking, surge protection at 215.18/225.42/230.67, the 225.41 feeder emergency disconnect, and the code-update continuing education tie-in.
Section 10.3 established that the Michigan Electrical Code is NFPA 70 as amended by the Part 8 rules. This section covers the amendments and 2023 changes an examiner is most likely to ask about, because they are the places where the Michigan answer and the plain-NEC answer diverge.
Amendment 1: Emergency Disconnects for Dwellings — 230.85
The 2023 NEC requires an emergency disconnect for one- and two-family dwelling units so that firefighters and first responders can kill power from outside the building. Michigan amended this section.
The Michigan Rule
- The disconnecting means shall be installed in a readily accessible outdoor location on or within sight of the dwelling unit.
- Each disconnect shall be a service disconnect.
- The service disconnecting means shall be marked as follows: "EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, SERVICE DISCONNECT."
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| MICHIGAN 230.85 EMERGENCY DISCONNECT REQUIREMENTS |
| |
| LOCATION ...... readily accessible OUTDOOR location |
| ON or WITHIN SIGHT OF the dwelling unit |
| |
| TYPE .......... each disconnect SHALL BE A SERVICE DISCONNECT |
| |
| MARKING ....... "EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, SERVICE DISCONNECT" |
| |
| The unamended NEC offers alternative marking options depending on |
| whether the device is a service disconnect, a meter disconnect, or |
| a disconnect not suitable as service equipment. |
| MICHIGAN CHOSE ONE: service disconnect, one marking. |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[!IMPORTANT] Why this is the single most likely Michigan amendment on the exam. The unamended 230.85 permits several marking legends and several device types. Michigan collapsed the choice to a single option. An item that offers "EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, NOT SERVICE EQUIPMENT" or "EMERGENCY DISCONNECT, METER DISCONNECT, NOT SERVICE EQUIPMENT" is offering you correct NFPA text and the wrong Michigan answer.
The Feeder Companion: 225.41
Where a one- or two-family dwelling is supplied by a feeder rather than by service conductors — a detached dwelling fed from a separate building, for example — 225.41 requires the feeder emergency disconnect to be located on or within sight of the dwelling unit. Learn 230.85 and 225.41 as a pair: services and feeders both have to be killable from outside the house.
Amendment 2: Surge Protection for Services and Feeders
Surge protective devices are no longer optional for residential-type occupancies in Michigan. Under 215.18 (feeders), 225.42 (outside feeders), and 230.67 (services) of the 2023 Michigan Electrical Code, a surge protective device is required where the feeder or service supplies:
- Dwelling units
- Dormitory units
- Guest rooms and guest suites of hotels and motels
- Areas of nursing homes and limited-care facilities used exclusively as patient sleeping rooms
| Section | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| 230.67 | Services supplying the listed occupancies |
| 215.18 | Feeders supplying the listed occupancies |
| 225.42 | Outside feeders and branch circuits supplying the listed occupancies |
The three sections carry the same list, so once you know the occupancy list you can answer any of the three. Where a service or feeder is replaced, the surge protective device requirement is triggered as well.
Trade note: The SPD is installed at, or is integral to, the service equipment or the feeder disconnect. A Type 1 SPD may be connected on the supply side of the service disconnect; a Type 2 SPD is connected on the load side.
Other 2023 Changes Michigan Inspectors Enforce
These are unamended NEC changes, but they are new enough that candidates carrying older training answer them incorrectly.
| Section | 2023 Change |
|---|---|
| 210.8(A)(6) | GFCI protection now covers all kitchen receptacles in a dwelling, not only countertop receptacles |
| 210.8(D) | The specific-appliance GFCI list expanded to include electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, microwave ovens, and dishwashers |
| 210.18 | 10-ampere branch circuits recognized; they may not supply receptacle outlets |
| 210.52(C)(2) | Island and peninsula countertop receptacles are no longer mandatory; if installed, they may not be below the countertop except as permitted |
| 220.5(C) | Attached garages are now included in the dwelling floor area used for load calculations |
| 220.57 | Electric vehicle supply equipment load, with a minimum value used in feeder and service calculations |
| 240.24(E) | Overcurrent devices prohibited in any bathroom; the occupancy qualifier was removed |
| 110.26(A)(6) | The grade, floor, or working platform in the required working space must be kept clear and as level and flat as practical for the entire depth and width |
| 230.71(B) | Exception relieving existing installations with two to six disconnecting means from upgrade |
| 408.4(B) | Marking to indicate where a panelboard's power originates and its physical location |
| 410.10(D) | Fans with a light kit not permitted within a zone 3 ft horizontally and 8 ft vertically from the top of a bathtub rim or shower stall threshold |
The Continuing Education Tie-In
Because Michigan adopted a new code edition, MCL 339.5715(4) was triggered: licensees had to complete a board-approved course on the code update within 12 months. In practice the state-approved course is a 15-hour package covering the 2023 NEC changes plus a dedicated segment on the Michigan Part 8 rules, with completions reported through CE Broker. This is the mechanism that keeps a licensed Michigan journeyman current on exactly the amendments above.
How to Spot a Michigan Amendment Question
- The subject is a dwelling service or feeder disconnect. Go to 230.85 / 225.41 and use the Michigan language.
- The subject is surge protection. Go to 230.67 / 215.18 / 225.42 and recall the four-occupancy list.
- The question says "in Michigan," names Part 8, or cites a rule number beginning R 408. It is testing the state rule, not the NFPA text.
- Two answer options are both defensible under the NEC. That is usually a signal that Michigan has narrowed the choice — pick the one Michigan mandates.
How does the Michigan-amended NEC 230.85 require the emergency disconnect for a one- or two-family dwelling to be marked?
Under 215.18, 225.42, and 230.67 of the 2023 Michigan Electrical Code, surge protection is required for feeders and services supplying which occupancies?
A detached one-family dwelling on the same property is supplied by a feeder from the main house rather than by its own service. Which section requires an emergency disconnect on or within sight of that dwelling?
Which statement about the 2023 code changes Michigan enforces is correct?