• 210.70 Lighting Outlets Required 

This section has lighting outlet requirements for Dwelling Units (210.70[A]), Guest Rooms or Guest Suites (210.70[B]), and All Occupancies (210.70[C]). 

The following dwelling areas must be provided with lighting outlets controlled by a listed wall-mounted control device located on a wall near an entrance to the room: 

• Habitable rooms 
• Kitchens 
• Laundry areas
• Bathrooms
• Hallways
• Stairways
• Attached garages 
• Detached garages with electric power and an additional exterior lighting outlet to provide illumination on the exterior side of the outdoor entrance to or exit from the location  
• Accessory buildings with electric power and an additional exterior lighting outlet to provide illumination on the exterior side of the outdoor entrance to or exit from the location 

A lighting outlet is not required for other than kitchens, laundry areas, and bathrooms when a receptacle is used and controlled by a listed wall-mounted control device located on a wall near an entrance to the room. In addition to a provided listed wall-mounted control device, the lighting outlet is also permitted to be controlled by occupancy sensors when located at a customary wall switch location and equipped with a manual override that permits the sensor to function as a wall switch.  

There are also special rules included for applications with six or more risers between floor levels to ensure lighting can be controlled at each landing level. In addition, for stairway applications, these rules provide permissions for lighting outlets to have dimmer controls at both ends of the stairs to ensure the stairway is lit and not dark.

There are exceptions for outdoor, grade-level bulkhead doors with stairway access to a sub-grade-level basement and for some applications to permit remote, central, or automatic control of lighting. 

Guest rooms or guest suites for hotels, motels, or similar occupancies are also required to have at least one lighting outlet installed in every habitable room and bathroom controlled by a listed wall-mounted control device. For areas other than bathrooms and kitchens, it is permitted to control a receptacle instead of providing a lighting outlet.  

The following locations in all occupancies must be provided with at least one lighting outlet containing a switch or controlled by a wall switch or listed wall-mounted control device installed where the spaces are used for storage or contain equipment that require servicing. The lighting control must be located at each entry that permits access, such as: 

• Underfloor spaces
• Utility rooms
• Basements

Where a lighting outlet is installed for equipment requiring service, the lighting outlet shall be installed at or near the equipment. 

The 2023 Code cycle made various changes in 210.70, including the following: 

1. In the parent text of 210.70, concerns were addressed regarding listed wall-mounted control devices that are battery operated, requiring that these devices do not rely exclusively on a battery unless a means is provided for automatically energizing the lighting outlets upon battery failure. 

2. In 210.70(A)(1) clarity was added in the title of this second level subdivision that was previously titled Habitable Rooms, because it included some rooms that did not meet the definition of the term “habitable rooms.” There was no technical change here other than ensuring conformance with terms and their definitions. 

3. 210.70(A)(2), “Additional Locations”, included multiple changes.   

    a. Accessory buildings added to the list require at least one lighting outlet controlled by a listed wall-mounted control device. 

    b. An exception was added for outdoor, grade-level bulkhead doors with stairway access to sub-grade-level basements. The required outlet that provides illumination on the stairway steps is now permitted to be in the basement interior as long as it is within 5 ft horizontally of the bottom most stairway riser. A listed wall-mounted control device or unit switch of the interior luminaire or interior lamp holder is permitted to control this lighting outlet. 

    c. Interior stairways with six or more risers between floor levels that have lighting outlets require a listed wall-mounted control device at each floor level and at each landing level that includes a stairway entry. If dimmer controls are used, the dimmers must provide dimming control to maximum brightness at each control location. 

    d. Clarity was added that remote, central, or automatic lighting control is permitted in hallways, stairways, and at outdoor entrances. 

The 2020 edition of the NEC added a permission for listed wall mounted control devices which could be battery operated not requiring a wired light switch outlet as part of the circuit.  Concerns were raised around what happens to the lighting should the battery be depleted and leave the wall mounted control device unable to turn the lights on or off.  The parent text of 210.70 was modified in such a way to address this concern.  The switch or wall-mounted control device is no longer permitted to rely exclusively on a battery unless a means is provided for automatically energizing the lighting outlets upon battery failure.  This addressed the concerns related to battery depletion.

Accuracy of the language found in 210.70(A)(1) occurred with no intended technical change in the requirement as the title and content of the section did not appropriately address habitable rooms.  The definition of habitable room states “A room in a building for living, sleeping, eating, or cooking, but excluding bathrooms, toilet rooms, closets, hallways, storage or utility spaces, and similar areas.”  Previous language of this section was such that the title of the second level subdivision 210.70(A)(1) was Habitable Rooms but included rooms that did not meet the definition of habitable rooms namely bathrooms.  The new title for second level subdivision 210.70(A)(1) is now “Habitable Rooms, Kitchens, Laundry Areas, and Bathrooms.”

210.70(A)(2) was modified to include accessory buildings as they are very similar to other locations that already must meet these requirements.  In addition, a new exception was added to recognize that a light inside the basement could also serve to light the stairway steps for an outdoor, grade-level bulkhead door that has stairway access to a sub-grade-level basement.  This light that is in the sub-grade-level basement would though have to be close enough to be a practical solution.  The distance of 5ft horizontally was settle on as meeting that distance criteria.

Clarity was added for when dimmer controls were used around steps to ensure the steps would always be lit and can control the lighting level from bottom and top of the stairs.