A major change is proposed in the 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC), which could make it illegal for many American homeowners to install their EV chargers themselves in the future. This potential restriction comes from a new NEC rule which states that "Permanently installed electric vehicle power transfer system equipment shall be installed by qualified persons."
Most states and code enforcement departments will probably see this term "qualified person" as a licensed electrician. To stop this rule, Rivian and several other companies have supported a motion to remove it at the annual meeting of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which is scheduled to be voted on Friday, June 20, 2025.
The main problem with this proposed rule is that homeowners will not stop doing their electrical work by declaring the installation illegal themselves. Instead, it guarantees that any EV chargers installed by amateurs will be without a proper permit and safety inspection attached to it. It also creates a strange incentive where homeowners can lie and get a permit.
For example, they can install the NEMA 14-50 outlet by saying that they will use it for the welder, and after the final inspection, they will put the EV charger in it. The letter signed by Rivian also raises concerns that this workaround will discourage hard-wiring EV chargers, while charging experts believe that hard-wiring is safer than plug-in units. Cheap 240-volt outlets can overheat and cause fires.
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The removal of this "qualified installer" rule has been publicly supported by several charging stakeholders, including Rivian, the Electric Vehicle Charging Association, and home-charger company Emporia. These companies have signed a letter saying that to ensure safety, the goal should be that homeowners get local building permits and their work is inspected. The letter also points out that Article 625.4 creates a new barrier to obtaining such a permit and encourages homeowners to say that they are installing the outlet for a purpose other than EV. This situation can weaken security rather than improve it.
NFPA members will also decide on another proposed change on Friday that could make EV charging at home and public stations less reliable. The proposed 2026 NEC amendment will mandate the installation of a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) with a five-milliamp trip threshold on every EV charging circuit. This will be in addition to the built-in charge circuit interrupting device already in every EV charger. On high-power circuits such as EV chargers, this low five-milliamp threshold will cause frequent and unnecessary "nuance trips" due to wet cables or normal charging behavior.
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To restore charging due to "nuisance trips," one often has to reset the GFCI on the panel, which is often behind a locked door for public chargers. Like the "qualified installer" requirement, adding GFCI is also being opposed at NFPA's annual technical meeting. Tesla, Rivian, ChargePoint, EVgo and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents many automakers and suppliers, have signed a letter in support of this motion.
If these motions fail, the proposed language will become the official code. The National Electric Code eventually becomes law when it is adopted by individual states, although the legislature can choose to change or exclude certain parts.
