A posting from California, and he hasn't seen NM in a garage? How does the power get to the door opener or light?
I will admit that the practice seems to be to staple it to the stud, running it vertically to the rafters, then through the top plate and follow the perimiter around ....
i see NM cable and AC or MC cable all the time in open wall garages, i have been told over the years that the cable has to be protected with guard strips even though it is installed in the bay between the wall studs. and i can't find that anywhere in the code.
