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Building Code Reference

Got a CEC 210.70 correction?

Required lighting outlets

For builders in California, Greater Seattle, the Las Vegas area, the Denver area and Kansas City · CrossBeam Permits

What this code requires, how to fix it, and how cities and counties review it

What this code requires

CEC 210.70 is the California Electrical Code section that requires wall-switched lighting outlets in every habitable room, bathroom, hallway, and stairway, and at each exterior door. The requirement applies to new residential construction and additions. Plan-checkers flag it when the lighting plan omits switched outlets from required locations or shows pull-chain or plug-in fixtures in their place.

How to fix it

  1. Confirm which rooms and spaces require a switched outlet

    Pull the floor plan and mark every habitable room (bedroom, living room, dining room, den, home office, sunroom), the kitchen, every bathroom, every hallway, every stairway, attached and detached garages with power, and every outdoor entrance. CEC 210.70 requires a wall-switched lighting outlet in each of these locations. If your project is a remodel or addition, the requirement applies to new and altered spaces — verify the scope of work matches what you marked.

  2. Add wall-switch symbols at each required location

    On the electrical plan, place a wall-switch symbol (S) at each required space. The switch must control at least one lighting outlet in that room or at that exterior door. If the room has multiple lighting outlets (e.g., a bedroom with both a ceiling fixture and a closet light), only one needs to be wall-switched — but the plan must show the connection clearly. Use a dashed line on the plan to indicate which switch controls which fixture, so the plan-checker doesn't have to guess.

  3. Verify fixture type qualifies as a lighting outlet

    A switched lighting outlet means a box or prewire location intended specifically for a light fixture — not a general-purpose receptacle. A GFCI outlet above the vanity does not satisfy CEC 210.70 even if a plug-in light is used. A junction box with a pull chain qualifies if wall-switched from a separate switch, but that configuration is uncommon in new construction. Ceiling fan boxes qualify if they are wired with a separate switched leg for the light kit. Confirm each symbol on the plan represents a real switched fixture location.

  4. Show exterior door fixtures on both floor plan and elevation

    Exterior lighting outlets need to appear on the floor plan (switch location inside) and on the exterior elevation (fixture location outside). A common mismatch: the fixture shows on the elevation but the switch is not on the floor plan. Add an exterior lighting note on the floor plan that cross-references the elevation sheet and label the switch-to-fixture relationship. Both sheets must agree, or the plan-checker will flag it as unresolved.

  5. Check stairways for switch placement at each floor and landing

    CEC 210.70 requires a wall-switched lighting outlet in each hallway and stairway. Where an interior stairway has six or more risers, a switch is required at each floor level and at each landing level that includes an entryway, not just one end. A stairway between two floors needs switches at the top and bottom. Show the three-way or four-way switch wiring on the plan. If the plan shows a single switch at one end of a qualifying stairway, the plan-checker will flag the missing switches.

  6. Update the electrical schedule or fixture legend

    If your plan set includes an electrical fixture schedule, make sure every newly added switched outlet appears in it with a fixture type, wattage or lumens rating, and switch designation. Missing entries in the schedule create a second path to a correction — even if the floor plan looks correct, a plan-checker using the schedule as a checklist will note the gap. Keep the schedule and floor plan in sync.

  7. Include a code compliance note on the electrical sheet

    Add a general note on the electrical plan sheet: ‘All habitable rooms, bathrooms, hallways, stairways, and exterior doors provided with wall-switched lighting outlets per CEC 210.70.’ This note does two things: it signals to the plan-checker that you are aware of the requirement, and it anchors the correction if they still flag it — they have to respond to the note, not just circle a missing symbol. A one-line note is faster to write than a resubmittal.

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Why you got flagged

Most corrections citing CEC 210.70 come down to one of a few situations: the lighting plan simply doesn't show a switched outlet where the code requires one.

The most common scenario is a habitable room listed on the floor plan with no lighting outlet shown at all. Living rooms, bedrooms, and home offices all qualify as habitable space, so every one of them needs a wall switch controlling at least one lighting outlet. If the drawing shows a ceiling fan with no light, a canned light on a dimmer not wired to a wall switch, or just an empty room, the plan-checker will flag it.

Bathrooms get flagged separately and often. The code requires a wall switch at the bathroom entrance controlling at least one lighting outlet. If the electrical plan shows only a plug-in fixture over the vanity or shows the fixture controlled from the GFCI outlet rather than a separate switch, that's a correction.

Hallways and stairways are a frequent miss on remodels. If the project adds square footage or changes a floor plan, the plan-checker will look at every hallway and stair in the affected area. A hall without a switched lighting outlet at each point of entry is a flag, even if natural light makes the space feel usable.

Exterior doors are another common omission. Each exterior door needs a switched lighting outlet nearby — interior switch, exterior fixture is the typical configuration. Contractors often show the fixture on the exterior elevation but forget to carry the switch symbol back to the floor plan, so the plan-checker sees an inconsistency and flags it.

The official code

California Electrical Code (Title 24 Part 3), Section 210.70 — Lighting Outlets Required

Read the source →

Common questions

Does CEC 210.70 apply to ADUs and garage conversions?
Yes. CEC 210.70 applies to any new residential construction or alteration, including ADUs and garage conversions. Every habitable room in the ADU needs a wall-switched lighting outlet, and the same rule applies to bathrooms, hallways, and exterior doors. If the ADU has a kitchenette that functions as a combined living/sleeping space, that space is habitable and requires the switched outlet. Garage conversions that add a bathroom also trigger the bathroom requirement. The correction most often seen in ADU permits is a missing switched outlet in the bedroom or at the exterior entry door.
Can a dimmer switch satisfy the CEC 210.70 requirement?
Yes, a dimmer counts as a wall switch for purposes of CEC 210.70. The code requires a wall-switched lighting outlet — the type of switch isn't specified, so a standard toggle, a dimmer, or a smart switch all satisfy the requirement. The fixture wired to that dimmer also needs to be compatible (most dimmers require dimmable LED bulbs today), but that compatibility issue falls under Title 24 Part 6 energy compliance, not CEC 210.70. Show the dimmer symbol on the plan the same way you'd show a standard switch, and add a note if the switch type matters for your fixture schedule.
Does a closet inside a bedroom need its own switched lighting outlet?
No. CEC 210.70 requires one wall-switched lighting outlet per habitable room — it does not separately require switched lighting inside every closet. A walk-in closet large enough to be considered habitable space (finished walls, floor, ceiling, used as a room) might be argued either way, but a standard bedroom closet does not independently trigger the requirement. That said, if you add a light inside a closet, it needs to meet the requirements for closet lighting under CEC 410.16 (clearances from storage, fixture type restrictions) — that's a separate section.
What counts as an exterior door for CEC 210.70 purposes?
Any door that opens directly to the outside counts: front door, back door, side entry, garage-to-exterior door. Sliding glass doors that open to a patio or deck count. Interior garage-to-house doors don't count because they don't lead directly outside. A switched lighting outlet at an exterior door typically means an exterior wall sconce or overhead fixture controlled by a switch inside the door. The fixture doesn't have to be directly above the door — a fixture on the exterior wall near the door, controlled from inside, satisfies the requirement.
My remodel only affects two rooms. Do I have to add switched lighting everywhere?
CEC 210.70 applies to new and altered spaces. If your remodel only touches two rooms, the requirement applies to those rooms and any new hallways or exterior doors created by the work. You're not required to retroactively bring every other room in the house into compliance just because you pulled a permit — the correction applies to the scope of the permit. That said, the plan-checker will look at the floor plan and may note existing deficiencies as advisory comments. Confirm your scope of work is clearly defined on the plan so the plan-checker applies the requirement only to the affected area.
Does a ceiling fan with a light kit satisfy CEC 210.70?
Yes, if the light kit is controlled by a wall switch. The key is that the wall switch must control the lighting function specifically. Some ceiling fan configurations use a single wall switch for the fan motor and rely on a pull chain or remote for the light. That setup does not satisfy CEC 210.70 because the lighting outlet is not wall-switched. To comply, wire the fan with a separate switched hot leg for the light, and show a dual-switch or combination switch on the plan — one for the fan, one for the light. Show the wiring configuration in a detail or on the schedule.

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