Code Change Summary: Parks and recreation areas were added to the list of locations where receptacles must use listed tamper-resistant receptacles.

SME commentary: In the 2026 NEC^®, Section 406.26 (previously 406.12) expands the list of required locations for tamper-resistant receptacles to include park and recreation areas. This addition recognizes that the same shock and insertion hazards present in dwellings, schools, and childcare facilities also exist in outdoor or public environments where children have access to electrical outlets. The revision adds new Item (11) to the existing list below and introduces Informational Note No. 4, clarifying that park and recreation areas include garden areas, play areas, and similar areas.

According to the 2026 NEC^® revised language in 406.26, all 15- and 20-ampere, 125- and 250-volt nonlocking-type receptacles in the following locations must be the listed tamper-resistant type:

(1) Dwelling units, boathouses, mobile & manufactured homes, including attached/detached garages, accessory buildings, and common areas

(2) Guest rooms & suites of hotels, motels, and their common areas

(3) Child care facilities

(4) Preschools & education facilities

(5) Areas within clinics, medical offices, dental offices, and outpatient facilities, including business offices accessible to the general public, lobbies, and waiting spaces, spaces of nursing homes and limited care facilities covered in Section 517.10(B)(2)

(6) Places of awaiting transportation, gymnasiums, skating rinks, fitness centers, and auditoriums

(7) Dormitories

(8) Residential care/assisted living, social or substance abuse rehabilitation, & group homes

(9) Foster care facilities, nursing homes, & psychiatric hospitals

(10) Areas of agricultural buildings accessible to the general public & any common areas

(11) Park & recreation areas

Tamper-resistant receptacles first appeared in the 2008 NEC^® for dwelling units after decades of data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission showed that inserting objects into receptacle slots was a leading cause of electrical injury to children. Later expansions included child-care centers, schools, hotel guest rooms, and healthcare waiting areas. Each addition reflected the same underlying principle: where the public, particularly children, can access a receptacle, it must offer integral protection against contact with live parts. The 2026 change extends this protection to outdoor spaces that have historically been overlooked but now see extensive electrical use for landscaping, event lighting, charging stations, and recreational equipment.

The risk in outdoor park or garden settings parallels that found indoors. Receptacles at picnic shelters, amphitheaters, rest areas, or outdoor learning spaces are often installed at child-accessible height and frequently used without supervision. Standard receptacles or covers, even when weather-resistant, do not prevent deliberate insertion of conductive items into energized slots. A listed tamper-resistant receptacle, incorporating internal shutters that open only when a two-blade plug is properly inserted, intend to provide continuous protection regardless of user awareness.

From a design and enforcement perspective, this update eliminates ambiguity about outdoor public areas that were previously beyond the purview of 406.12 (2023 NEC). Installers can now clearly identify any 15- or 20-ampere, 125- or 250-volt, nonlocking-type receptacles within a park, play, garden, or recreation area as requiring a tamper-resistant rating. Authorities having jurisdiction will also benefit from the explicit code reference, reducing disputes over whether outdoor outlets serving public amenities must comply.

This revision continues the NEC’s consistent progression toward protecting the youngest and least informed users of the electrical system. Whether the receptacle is located beside a playground, at a picnic shelter, or near outdoor classroom seating, it must now provide the same inherent protection already required indoors. By including park and recreation areas, the 2026 NEC^® removes a gap in child-safety coverage and strengthens uniform national application of tamper-resistant technology.

Below is a preview of the NEC^®. See the actual NEC^® text at NFPA.ORG for the complete code section. Once there, click on their link to free access to the 2026 NEC^® edition of NFPA 70.

2023 Code Language:

406.26 Item (11) and Informational Note No. 4 did not exist.

2026 Code Language:

406.26 Tamper-Resistant Receptacles. All 15- and 20-ampere, 125- and 250-volt nonlocking-type receptacles in the following locations shall be listed tamper-resistant receptacles:

(11) Park and recreation areas

Informational Note No. 4: Park and recreation areas can include garden areas, play areas, and similar areas.