Code Change Summary: Revised requirements now mandate that the surge protective device for elevator installations be installed as an integral part of, or immediately adjacent to, the disconnecting means.

SME commentary: In the 2026 NEC^®, changes in 620.51(E) will now require “a surge-protective device (SPD) to be provided as an integral part of the elevator system or installed immediately adjacent to the disconnecting means”.

The 2026 revision to Section 620.51(E) strengthens surge protection requirements for elevator, escalator, dumbwaiter, moving walk, platform lift, and stairway chairlift circuits by clarifying exactly where the surge protective device must be located. In prior editions, the requirement applied only when the disconnecting means was designated as supplying an emergency system load, a legally required system load, or a critical operation power system load. The revised language removes these qualifiers and instead requires the SPD to be installed for all disconnecting means addressed in 620.51, regardless of the operational designation. This change ensures consistent surge protection for equipment that is essential to normal building operations and that often represents a significant safety interface for the public.

The public input driving this revision pointed out that the reliability of elevator and conveyance equipment under normal operating conditions is no less important than its reliability when designated as part of an emergency or legally required standby system. Surge protection serves the same purpose in both situations: preserving the operational integrity of equipment that must remain reliable at all times. The input also referenced similar placement language from Section 230.67, which has required service equipment SPDs to be either integral to the equipment or installed immediately adjacent to it. Aligning 620.51(E) with the placement language in 230.67 provides consistency across articles and clarifies SPD installation expectations.

The panel reaffirmed that surge protection is most effective when the SPD is located as close as possible to the equipment being protected. For that reason, SPDs are not permitted upstream of the disconnect. Installing the device integral to the disconnecting means or immediately adjacent reduces lead length, minimizes impedance, and improves the protective performance of the SPD during transient events.

As written in the 2026 NEC^®, the revised requirement applies universally to all disconnecting means covered in 620.51. This provides a consistent installation standard for conveyance equipment across emergency and non-emergency applications.

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:

620.51 (E) Surge Protection. Where any of the disconnecting means in 620.51 has been designated as supplying an emergency system load, a legally required system load, or a critical operation power system load, a listed SPD shall be installed.

2026 Code Language:

620.51(E) Surge Protection. A surge-protective device (SPD) shall be provided as an integral part of the elevator system or installed immediately adjacent to the disconnecting means.