Sparky's Journal

📅 October 1st, 2026

Sparky’s Journal
Sparky’s Journal — Informational Notes Aren’t “Code”

By JoshTheSparky.com (@JoshTheSparky4) (@JoshTheSparky on X)

One thing I’ve been paying more attention to while studying the NEC is Informational Notes.

An Informational Note is not a “Code rule” by itself. It’s not something you can point to and say, “The NEC requires me to do this,” just because it’s printed in the Code book.

But that doesn’t mean you should ignore it.

The reason Informational Notes are in the NEC is to give you additional information that can help you understand the requirement you’re looking at. They can provide explanations, examples, or point you toward another standard or requirement that may be important to the installation.

That distinction is important.

You need to learn how to separate:

“The Code requires this.”

from

“The Code is giving me information that helps me understand this.”

And sometimes that information can lead you to another requirement that is enforceable.

So when you're studying, don't just skip over the Informational Notes because they aren't enforceable by themselves.

Read them.

Understand what they're trying to tell you.

Then go back and find the actual requirement that applies.

The NEC isn't just a book you memorize. Please make sure you read the book and understand what each part is doing.

That's a big part of becoming better at Code.

— Josh The Sparky

www.JoshTheSparky.com/Sparkys-Journal