NEC · 2020 National Electrical Code
§210.12 · AFCI protection
Effective in NEC 2020 · NEC 2023 NW Indiana.
Plain-English explainer
210.12 (AFCI protection): branch circuits supplying 120 V outlets in dwelling living areas (family, dining, living, parlor, library, den, bedroom, sunroom, recreation) need AFCI protection by a listed device or combination-type AFCI breaker at the origin of the branch circuit.
Why inspectors flag this
An AFCI breaker missing at the panel for a bedroom circuit is the most-cited 210.12 failure on a rewire; the drafter surfaces the rule so the panel schedule lists the right breaker.
As quoted in the code: Branch circuits supplying 120-volt outlets in dwelling-unit living areas (family rooms, dining rooms, living rooms, parlors, libraries, dens, bedrooms, sunrooms, recreation rooms, and similar spaces) must have AFCI protection by a listed device or by a listed combination type AFCI breaker at the origin of the branch circuit.
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