GFCI and AFCI requirements by room

Where GFCI is required (210.8)

In dwellings, 210.8(A) requires GFCI protection for 125 V through 250 V receptacles supplied by single-phase circuits of 150 V or less to ground, in these locations:

• Bathrooms.
• Garages and accessory buildings with a floor at or below grade.
• Outdoors.
• Crawl spaces at or below grade, and basements.
• Kitchens — all receptacles, not only countertop ones, since 2023.
• Within 6 ft of a sink, bathtub or shower.
• Laundry areas, boathouses and indoor damp or wet locations.

All outdoor outlets, HVAC included (210.8(F))

Beyond receptacles, 210.8(F) requires GFCI protection for every outdoor outlet of a dwelling supplied at 150 V or less to ground and 50 A or less — including garages at or below grade, accessory buildings and boathouses, and hard-wired equipment. Lighting outlets are exempt.

The exception for listed HVAC equipment expired on September 1, 2026: under the 2023 NEC, an outdoor heat pump or air-conditioner condenser now needs GFCI protection, typically a two-pole GFCI breaker. Some jurisdictions amended this rule, so check locally.

Appliances that need GFCI wherever they are (210.8(D))

Some appliances require GFCI protection regardless of the room, whether they are cord-and-plug connected or hard-wired: dishwashers, and in the 2023 edition electric ranges, wall-mounted ovens, counter-mounted cooking units, clothes dryers, microwave ovens and sump pumps, rated 150 V or less to ground and 60 A or less. In practice, this means two-pole GFCI breakers for the range and dryer circuits.

Older editions had a shorter list: check the edition your jurisdiction enforces.

Where AFCI is required (210.12)

All 120 V, 15 A and 20 A branch circuits supplying outlets or devices in these areas need AFCI protection: kitchens, family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, closets, hallways, laundry areas and similar rooms.

Bathrooms, garages and outdoors are not on the AFCI list. When a circuit in those areas is modified, replaced or extended in an AFCI area, 210.12(D) brings the AFCI requirement with it.

When both apply: dual function breakers

Kitchens and laundry areas need both. A dual function (DF) breaker provides GFCI and AFCI protection in one device and is the simplest way to cover a kitchen small-appliance circuit or a laundry circuit. A dishwasher circuit in the kitchen is the same case: GFCI because of the appliance, AFCI because of the room.

Breaker or receptacle?

GFCI protection can come from a GFCI receptacle protecting the downstream outlets, or from a GFCI breaker protecting the whole circuit. AFCI is most often provided by the breaker; the NEC also allows outlet branch-circuit AFCIs under specific conditions.

Planelico places the protection at the breaker, which keeps the panel directory readable and works for every outlet type. Your electrician may choose receptacles instead where it is cheaper.

How Planelico assigns protection

Each circuit’s protection is derived from the room types it serves and the appliances on it: GFCI, AFCI, dual function or standard. A lighting-only circuit does not get GFCI from its room, since 210.8(A) covers receptacles; a hard-wired appliance such as a water heater does not get room-based GFCI either. The rules based on distance to a sink or tub cannot be measured on a PDF and are left to the installer.

Quick method with Planelico

1. 1

   Qualify the rooms

   Room types drive the protection of every circuit.

2. 2

   Place appliances

   Dishwasher, range, dryer: they bring their own GFCI requirement.

3. 3

   Generate the load center

   Each breaker shows GFCI, AFCI, DF or standard.

4. 4

   Review the directory

   Check the protection column before ordering breakers.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (NEC)
• NFPA — NEC adoption by state