NEC 240.24 governs where circuit breakers and fuses can be installed inside a building. The rule requires overcurrent devices to be readily accessible, mounted so the handle center sits no more than 6 feet 7 inches above the floor, kept out of bathrooms, clothes closets, and stairway steps, protected from physical damage, and reachable by each occupant whose wiring they protect. The section appears in every edition of the National Electrical Code published by the National Fire Protection Association, with the 2026 edition being the most recent, though local jurisdictions adopt new editions on their own timelines.
What Readily Accessible Means
NEC 240.24(A) requires that circuit breakers and fused switches be “readily accessible.” Article 100 defines the term: the device must be reachable quickly for operation or inspection without climbing over or under anything, removing obstacles, using tools other than keys, or resorting to a portable ladder.
That last exclusion is the one most installations run into. A panel mounted high enough to require a stepladder fails the standard, even if the ladder is kept in the same room. Dragging a chair over doesn’t satisfy the rule either. The device has to be reachable on foot, from the floor.
Keys are the single tool exception. Locking an electrical panel does not violate the readily accessible standard, provided the people who need access have the key or combination. This matters in commercial buildings where managers want to prevent tampering without delaying emergency access.
The 6-Foot-7-Inch Height Limit
Under NEC 240.24(A), the maximum mounting height is measured to the center of the grip of the operating handle when the handle sits in its highest position. That center point cannot exceed 6 feet 7 inches (2.0 meters) above the floor or working platform.
The measurement point is specific. It is not the top of the panel enclosure, not the highest breaker slot, and not the top of the handle. It is the center of the handle grip at its uppermost throw. Measuring to the wrong reference point is one of the most common reasons a panel installation fails inspection, and correcting it after circuits are landed usually means relocating the panel or adding a working platform.
Exceptions to the Height and Accessibility Rules
Four situations are allowed to exceed the 6-foot-7-inch limit or fall outside the normal reach standard.
- Overcurrent devices on busways can be mounted out of reach if they include a way to operate the disconnect from the floor. NEC 368.17(C) permits ropes, chains, or sticks as the operating means. This is standard where busways run along ceilings or high on walls in industrial facilities.
- Supplementary overcurrent protection inside equipment or appliances does not have to meet the general accessibility rule. These are the secondary protective devices described in NEC 240.10, backing up branch-circuit protection rather than replacing it.
- Service entrance and building disconnect equipment covered under NEC 225.40 and 230.92 follows its own location rules, which can allow placement above the standard height.
- Devices mounted next to the specific equipment they supply may be reached with a portable ladder. The common example is a disconnect switch near a ceiling-height unit heater or a rooftop HVAC unit.
The fourth exception is the one that surprises people. Portable ladders are explicitly excluded from the definition of readily accessible everywhere else in 240.24, but for devices adjacent to the equipment they protect, the code carves out an allowance. If an inspector questions a high-mounted disconnect, the equipment it serves needs to be right there with it.
Occupant Access in Multi-Unit Buildings
NEC 240.24(B) requires that each occupant have ready access to every overcurrent device protecting the wiring that supplies their space. A tenant in an apartment has to be able to reach their own breaker panel without calling the landlord or waiting on maintenance. The panel can sit inside the unit or in a common area, but the tenant cannot be locked out of it.
Two exceptions apply where a building has continuous electrical maintenance staff on site.
- In multiple-occupancy buildings, service and feeder overcurrent devices that supply more than one unit can be restricted to authorized management personnel, provided the building has continuous electrical maintenance under qualified supervision. This covers the main service equipment in a large apartment complex or office building, not the branch-circuit panels inside individual units.
- In guest rooms, guest suites, and dormitory sleeping rooms, branch-circuit overcurrent devices can be accessible only to authorized staff when the building handles all electrical service and maintenance. Hotels and dormitories rely on this exception routinely.
The two exceptions are not interchangeable. A long-term residential tenant has stronger access rights than a hotel guest, because the code assumes the tenant doesn’t have professional electrical staff on call. Guest-room exception applies to sleeping rooms without permanent cooking facilities, not to apartment-style units.
Where Overcurrent Devices Cannot Be Installed
Several locations are off-limits under 240.24. An inspector will reject these installations outright, and enclosure design cannot work around the prohibition.
Near Easily Ignitible Material
NEC 240.24(D) prohibits overcurrent devices in the vicinity of easily ignitible material. The code names clothes closets specifically. A breaker that arcs or fails near hanging clothes, stored linens, or stacked paper creates an immediate fire risk. The rule applies whether or not the closet has a door, and regardless of clearance between the panel and stored items.
The test turns on what is actually stored in the space, not what the floor plan calls it. A dedicated utility room sharing a wall with a closet is acceptable. A walk-in closet relabeled as a utility room but still filled with clothes is not.
Bathrooms, Showering Facilities, and Locker Rooms
NEC 240.24(E) prohibits overcurrent devices in bathrooms. Before the 2023 edition, this rule covered only dwelling units, dormitories, and guest rooms or suites. The 2023 NEC expanded it to all bathrooms, showering facilities, and locker rooms with showering facilities, regardless of occupancy type. That change closed a loophole that had allowed panels in commercial restrooms and gym locker rooms.
Humidity and condensation accelerate corrosion of internal breaker components, which can cause a device to fail when it needs to trip. The limited floor space in most bathrooms also makes maintaining the required working clearance difficult. If the local jurisdiction still enforces an older edition, the narrower pre-2023 rule may apply, so a call to the authority having jurisdiction is worth the time.
Over Stairway Steps
NEC 240.24(F) prohibits overcurrent devices from being located over the steps of a stairway. Resetting a breaker or replacing a fuse requires stable footing, and a stair tread doesn’t provide it. The prohibition is absolute.
Exposed to Physical Damage
NEC 240.24(C) requires that overcurrent devices not be installed where they would be exposed to physical damage. High-traffic areas, vehicle paths, and locations near moving equipment all qualify. When a panel has to go somewhere with impact risk, a protective enclosure or bollards can satisfy the requirement, provided the working clearances described below are still maintained.
Working Space Around the Panel
NEC 240.24 tells you where a panel can go. NEC 110.26 tells you how much room to leave around it. Both have to be satisfied.
The minimum clear working space in front of an electrical panel is 30 inches wide and 36 inches deep, measured from the face of the equipment. Vertical clearance must be at least 6 feet 6 inches from the floor, or the actual height of the equipment, whichever is greater. Shelving, stored materials, and anything else unrelated to the electrical installation have to stay out of this space.
Equipment doors and hinged panels must open at least 90 degrees within the working space. Panels tucked into alcoves or set too close to a perpendicular wall often fail this requirement because the dead-front cover cannot swing clear.
NEC 110.26(B) prohibits using the required working space for storage. This is the clearance rule most often violated after inspection. The space has to stay clear for the life of the installation.
Lighting at the Panel
NEC 110.26(D) requires adequate illumination for all indoor working spaces around panelboards, switchboards, switchgear, and motor control centers. The lighting cannot be controlled solely by automatic means like a motion sensor or timer. A manual switch override is required so the lights stay on during maintenance. If the space already has lighting that meets NEC 210.70(A)(1), no additional lighting outlet is required, but the illumination standard still applies.
The requirement matters most in basements, garages, and mechanical rooms where the panel is the only reason anyone enters. Installing a panel in an unlit space means coming back to add a light after the inspector flags it.