ECN Forum Forums Code Related Discussion NEC & other Code issues MN code

How can I obtain a copy of the Minnesota Electrical Code. Also, if anyone has taken both the Wisconsin and the Minnesota Master Exams, how do they compare. I have already taken and passed the Wisconsin Journeyman and Master Electrician exams easy enough. Some I have talked to say the Minnesota versions are harder while other say they are about equal (although given in different fashions). I'd like to know what to expect.

Triple,

Any information I was able to find said that Minnesota had adopted the 2002 NEC. Does anyone have any other information?

Bill

I can't help a whole lot triple.

I took the Minnesota journeymans in 1982, and the Minnesota masters around 1991 so its been a few years. I haven't taken any Wisconsin exams. The MN journeyman's was a breeze, I finished it easily in a couple hours. You shouldn't have any trouble if you've boned up recently. The MN masters on the other hand was much tougher, it took me most of the day. I passed on the first try, but it is very common to hear of people taking the master's exam several times before they pass it. I'm sure some of the difference for me though was that I was fresh out of the apprenticeship program when I took the journeymans.

MN has indeed adopted the 2002 NEC.

Call the Minnesota state board of electricity for answers to your questions.



[This message has been edited by Matt M (edited 08-07-2003).]

Here is the phone number for the Minnesota state board of electricity.


(651) 642-0800

Here is the web address.
http://www.electricity.state.mn.us/

Thanks for the number and web address. As far as the MN code question, I was referring to the separate revisions to the national code which are usually individual to each state (similar to Comm 16 for Wisconsin). I am assuming that Minnesota makes such revisions; or do they adopt the entire national code lock, stock, and barrel?

Minnesota adopts the NEC, as you say, lock, stock and barrel. Having worked primarily around the seven county Metro Area of Minneapolis / St. Paul, I've found that the modifications to the NEC pertain to existing structures wired under earlier codes. These modifications are done at the local level - city and municipality and are published in numerous places.

From the questions raised here and at similar NEC forums, it is apparent that reasonable minds will interpret the language differently on occasion. The State of Minnesota Electrical Inspectors and the Minnesota State Board of Electricity are no exception to this.

The licensing exams are administered by the State Board. The test, in my experience, was on the NEC, not the local modifications to the NEC.

[b]The State Board Code Interpretations[/b] are mostly linked to on this page at the State Board web site.

IMHO, bone up on the NEC and you won't go wrong.

Al