Part III.

Panelboards
408.30 General. All panelboards shall have a rating not less
than the minimum feeder capacity required for the load calculated
in accordance with Part III, IV, or V of Article 220, as
applicable.
408.36 Overcurrent Protection. In addition to the requirement
of 408.30, a panelboard shall be protected by an overcurrent
protective device having a rating not greater than that of
the panelboard. This overcurrent protective device shall be
located within or at any point on the supply side of the panelboard.

Exception No. 1: Individual protection shall not be required for a

panelboard used as service equipment with multiple disconnecting
means in accordance with 230.71. In panelboards protected by three or
more main circuit breakers or sets of fuses, the circuit breakers or sets of
fuses shall not supply a second bus structure within the same panelboard
assembly.

Exception No. 2: Individual protection shall not be required for a

panelboard protected on its supply side by two main circuit breakers or
two sets of fuses having a combined rating not greater than that of the
panelboard. A panelboard constructed or wired under this exception
shall not contain more than 42 overcurrent devices. For the purposes of
determining the maximum of 42 overcurrent devices, a 2-pole or a
3-pole circuit breaker shall be considered as two or three overcurrent
devices, respectively.

Exception No. 3: For existing panelboards, individual protection shall

not be required for a panelboard used as service equipment for an individual
residential occupancy.

(A) Snap Switches Rated at 30 Amperes or Less. Panelboards

equipped with snap switches rated at 30 amperes or less shall
have overcurrent protection of 200 amperes or less.
(B) Supplied Through a Transformer. Where a panelboard is
supplied through a transformer, the overcurrent protection
required by 408.36 shall be located on the secondary side of
the transformer.
Exception: A panelboard supplied by the secondary side of a transformer
shall be considered as protected by the overcurrent protection provided on
the primary side of the transformer where that protection is in accordance
with 240.21(C)(1).
(C) Delta Breakers. A 3-phase disconnect or overcurrent
device shall not be connected to the bus of any panelboard that
has less than 3-phase buses. Delta breakers shall not be installed
in panelboards.
(D) Back-Fed Devices. Plug-in-type overcurrent protection
devices or plug-in type main lug assemblies that are backfed
and used to terminate field-installed ungrounded supply
conductors shall be secured in place by an additional fastener
that requires other than a pull to release the device from the
mounting means on the panel.
408.37 Panelboards in Damp or Wet Locations. Panelboards
in damp or wet locations shall be installed to comply with
312.2.
408.38 Enclosure. Panelboards shall be mounted in cabinets,
cutout boxes, or identified enclosures and shall be dead-front.
Exception: Panelboards other than of the dead-front, externally operable
type shall be permitted where accessible only to qualified persons.

408.39 Relative Arrangement of Switches and Fuses. In panelboards,

fuses of any type shall be installed on the load side of
any switches.
Exception: Fuses installed as part of service equipment in accordance
with the provisions of 230.94 shall be permitted on the line side of the
service switch.
408.40 Grounding of Panelboards. Panelboard cabinets and
panelboard frames, if of metal, shall be in physical contact with
each other and shall be connected to an equipment grounding
conductor. Where the panelboard is used with nonmetallic
raceway or cable or where separate equipment grounding
conductors are provided, a terminal bar for the equipment
grounding conductors shall be secured inside the cabinet. The
terminal bar shall be bonded to the cabinet and panelboard
frame, if of metal; otherwise it shall be connected to the equipment
grounding conductor that is run with the conductors
feeding the panelboard.
Exception: Where an isolated equipment grounding conductor is provided
as permitted by 250.146(D), the insulated equipment grounding
conductor that is run with the circuit conductors shall be permitted to
pass through the panelboard without being connected to the panelboard’s
equipment grounding terminal bar.
Equipment grounding conductors shall not be connected to
a terminal bar provided for grounded conductors or neutral
conductors unless the bar is identified for the purpose and is
located where interconnection between equipment grounding
conductors and grounded circuit conductors is permitted or
required by Article 250.
408.41 Grounded Conductor Terminations. Each grounded
conductor shall terminate within the panelboard in an individual
terminal that is not also used for another conductor.
Exception: Grounded conductors of circuits with parallel conductors
shall be permitted to terminate in a single terminal if the terminal is
identified for connection of more than one conductor.
Part IV. Construction Specifications
408.50 Panels. The panels of switchboards and switchgear
shall be made of moisture-resistant, noncombustible material.
408.51 Busbars. Insulated or bare busbars shall be rigidly
mounted.
408.52 Protection of Instrument Circuits. Instruments, pilot
lights, voltage (potential) transformers, and other switchboard
or switchgear devices with potential coils shall be supplied by a
circuit that is protected by standard overcurrent devices rated
15 amperes or less.
Exception No. 1: Overcurrent devices rated more than 15 amperes shall
be permitted where the interruption of the circuit could create a hazard.
Short-circuit protection shall be provided.
Exception No. 2: For ratings of 2 amperes or less, special types of
enclosed fuses shall be permitted.
408.53 Component Parts. Switches, fuses, and fuseholders
used on panelboards shall comply with the applicable requirements
of Articles 240 and 404.
408.54 Maximum Number of Overcurrent Devices. A panelboard
shall be provided with physical means to prevent the

installation of more overcurrent devices than that number for

which the panelboard was designed, rated, and listed.
For the purposes of this section, a 2-pole circuit breaker or
fusible switch shall be considered two overcurrent devices; a 3-
pole circuit breaker or fusible switch shall be considered three
overcurrent devices.
408.55 Wire-Bending Space Within an Enclosure Containing a
Panelboard.
(A) Top and Bottom Wire-Bending Space. The enclosure for a
panelboard shall have the top and bottom wire-bending space
sized in accordance with Table 312.6(B) for the largest conductor
entering or leaving the enclosure.
Exception No. 1: Either the top or bottom wire-bending space shall be
permitted to be sized in accordance with Table 312.6(A) for a panelboard
rated 225 amperes or less and designed to contain not over
42 overcurrent devices. For the purposes of this exception, a 2-pole or a
3-pole circuit breaker shall be considered as two or three overcurrent
devices, respectively.
Exception No. 2: Either the top or bottom wire-bending space for any
panelboard shall be permitted to be sized in accordance with
Table 312.6(A) where at least one side wire-bending space is sized in
accordance with Table 312.6(B) for the largest conductor to be terminated
in any side wire-bending space.
Exception No. 3: The top and bottom wire-bending space shall be
permitted to be sized in accordance with Table 312.6(A) spacings if the
panelboard is designed and constructed for wiring using only a single
90-degree bend for each conductor, including the grounded circuit
conductor, and the wiring diagram shows and specifies the method of
wiring that shall be used.
Exception No. 4: Either the top or the bottom wire-bending space, but
not both, shall be permitted to be sized in accordance with
Table 312.6(A) where there are no conductors terminated in that space.
(B) Side Wire-Bending Space. Side wire-bending space shall
be in accordance with Table 312.6(A) for the largest conductor
to be terminated in that space.
(C) Back Wire-Bending Space. Where a raceway or cable
entry is in the wall of the enclosure opposite a removable cover,
the distance from that wall to the cover shall be permitted to
comply with the distance required for one wire per terminal in
Table 312.6(A). The distance between the center of the rear
entry and the nearest termination for the entering conductors
shall not be less than the distance given in Table 312.6(B).
408.56 Minimum Spacings. The distance between bare metal
parts, busbars, and so forth shall not be less than specified in
Table 408.56.
Where close proximity does not cause excessive heating,
parts of the same polarity at switches, enclosed fuses, and so
forth shall be permitted to be placed as close together as
convenience in handling will allow.
Exception: The distance shall be permitted to be less than that specified
in Table 408.56 at circuit breakers and switches and in listed components
installed in switchboards, switchgear, and panelboards.
408.58 Panelboard Marking. Panelboards shall be durably
marked by the manufacturer with the voltage and the current
rating and the number of ac phases or dc buses for which they
are designed and with the manufacturer's name or trademark
in such a manner so as to be visible after installation, without
disturbing the interior parts or wiring.