NEC 230.85 emergency disconnects
230.85 exists so a firefighter arriving at a house can kill the power from outside without entering. It first appeared in the 2020 NEC and was expanded and clarified in 2023, and it is now a routine plan-check item on any work that brings a service under the current code.
The requirement
- Outdoors, readily accessible, on or within sight of the dwelling.
- Marked — the 2023 edition tightened identification and marking, distinguishing the emergency disconnect from other isolation devices.
- Rated for the available fault current at its location.
- Grouped where more than one disconnecting means is provided.
What qualifies
This is where the 2023 language generated the most questions. The code recognises more than one arrangement, and installers and inspectors spent the cycle debating whether a meter disconnect, a service breaker, or a transfer switch satisfied it. The practical answer: confirm with your AHJ before you buy the equipment, because the interpretations genuinely differ.
When it applies to a solar job
The trigger is usually the service work, not the PV itself:
| Scope | 230.85 typically engaged? |
|---|---|
| New service | Yes |
| Service or panel upgrade | Usually |
| PV added, service untouched | Often not — AHJ-dependent |
| Supply-side tap ahead of the service disconnect | Frequently pulls it in |
Whether an AHJ applies it retroactively to an existing service is a judgement call the drawing cannot make for them. State what you are doing to the service clearly and let the reviewer rule.
How it interacts with PV and storage
An emergency disconnect kills the utility supply. It does not, by itself, de-energise:
- PV conductors — that is 690.12 rapid shutdown.
- A battery — that is 706.15, and under the 2023 NEC a dwelling ESS also needs a readily accessible emergency shutdown.
A house with PV and storage can therefore carry three distinct emergency controls. Group and label them so a responder is not hunting. Confusing signage is worse than sparse signage.
On the drawing
- Show the device, its rating and its location.
- Show the required marking.
- Show grouping where multiple disconnects exist.
- State the code edition in the title block — this requirement does not exist before 2020.
Solar Scripto's compliance engine raises 230.85 from the 2020 edition onward and deliberately offers no automatic fix: whether it applies turns on whether the service is being brought under the current code, which is a fact about the scope of work rather than about the drawing. Software should not assert an answer to that.
See also: NEC 2020 vs 2023 solar changes and DC vs AC disconnects.
> Design aid — a licensed electrician or PE must review and stamp before filing.
FAQ
What is NEC 230.85?
The requirement for a readily accessible outdoor emergency disconnecting means at one- and two-family dwellings, introduced in the 2020 NEC and expanded in 2023.
Where must the emergency disconnect be located?
In a readily accessible outdoor location on or within sight of the dwelling. Where more than one disconnecting means is provided, they must be grouped.
Does the emergency disconnect need a short-circuit current rating?
Yes. It must have a short-circuit current rating equal to or greater than the available fault current at its location.
Related: NEC code explained
Educational reference, reviewed 2026-07. A design aid, not a substitute for a licensed electrician or PE. Confirm the enforced NEC edition and local amendments with your AHJ.
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