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Building Code Reference

Got a Title 24 150.0(k) correction?

High-efficacy lighting requirements

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

Title 24 150.0(k) is the California Title 24 Part 6 section that requires high-efficacy luminaires throughout a new or altered dwelling. Every permanently installed luminaire must be JA8-compliant — meaning it uses an LED light source that meets the Joint Appendix 8 photometric and efficacy requirements. The section also mandates specific controls by room type: dimming controls are required in habitable rooms, and at least one luminaire in bathrooms, garages, laundry rooms, utility rooms and walk-in closets must be on an occupancy or vacancy sensor with automatic-off. Single-family, ADU, and multifamily residential permits all trigger this section when a lighting plan is included or when scope touches existing lighting.

How to fix it

  1. Pull the JA8 listings for every fixture on your plan

    Before you touch the drawings, confirm each luminaire model number has a current JA8 listing. The CEC maintains a searchable JA8 listing on its website under the Appliance Efficiency Database. If a fixture isn't in that database under JA8, it doesn't qualify — even if the box says 'high efficacy' or 'Title 24 compliant.' Get the JA8 listing number for each fixture; you'll need it on the luminaire schedule.

  2. Build a complete luminaire schedule on the electrical plan

    The schedule should include: fixture type designation (e.g., 'A', 'B', 'C'), manufacturer name, model number, lamp type (LED), wattage, JA8 listing number, and the room or area where each type is used. Every permanently installed fixture shown on the plan needs a corresponding schedule entry. 'Owner to select' or 'by owner' are not acceptable — the plan-checker needs a specific JA8-listed product to verify compliance before they approve the permit.

  3. Map dimmer requirements to habitable rooms

    Lighting in habitable spaces, including living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens and bedrooms, needs readily accessible wall-mounted dimming controls under 150.0(k)2F. The exceptions are narrow: a circuit with less than 20 watts of controlled lighting, lighting on an auto-off occupancy or vacancy sensor, ceiling fan lights on a remote, and navigation lighting under 5 watts. A non-dimmable fixture is not an exception, so specify dimmable products in these rooms. Show the dimmer switch symbol on the electrical plan and call it out in a legend.

  4. Specify auto-off sensors for bathrooms, garages, laundry, utility rooms and walk-in closets

    In these rooms, at least one installed luminaire must be controlled by an occupancy or vacancy sensor providing automatic-off (150.0(k)2E); either sensor type complies, a plain switch does not. Show the sensor symbol on the electrical plan for each qualifying space. Include a control schedule or legend that identifies the sensor model and confirms it meets the control requirements of 150.0(k). If a bathroom has multiple switched circuits (e.g., vanity lights separate from ceiling fixture), the code requires at least one luminaire on an auto-off sensor; confirm with your plan-check jurisdiction whether they expect more.

  5. Show outdoor and garage lighting controls separately

    Permanently installed outdoor lighting and garage lighting have their own control requirements under 150.0(k). Outdoor luminaires mounted to the building need a manual on/off switch plus a photocell and motion sensor, a photocell and automatic time switch, or an astronomical time clock. In the garage, at least one luminaire needs an occupancy or vacancy sensor with automatic-off. If your plan shows only a toggle switch for the garage light, that's the correction right there: swap it to an auto-off sensor on the drawing and update the control schedule.

  6. Update the Title 24 CF1R or CF2R energy compliance forms

    The compliance documentation (the CF1R Certificate of Compliance at plan check, for new construction and alterations alike, and the CF2R-LTG-01-E lighting Certificate of Installation during construction) needs to reflect the JA8 fixtures and the control types you've specified. Run your compliance software — CBECC-Res or an approved equivalent — with the updated fixture list. The output forms go on the plan set, typically on a dedicated energy compliance sheet. If the plan set that got flagged doesn't have current CF1R/CF2R forms that match the luminaire schedule, that's often what drove the 150.0(k) correction in the first place.

  7. Coordinate with the electrician before resubmitting

    Changing switch types from standard to vacancy sensor or from toggle to dimmer means the electrician needs to know before rough-in. Corrections that get approved on paper but not communicated to the field result in a failed inspection — which costs more time than the plan-check cycle did. Get the updated control schedule to the electrician and confirm they can source the specified sensors before you submit the revision.

  8. Resubmit with a cover letter keyed to the correction

    When you resubmit, include a cover letter that calls out each 150.0(k) item from the corrections letter and states where the fix appears on the revised plans. Plan-checkers on a second round go straight to the flagged items — a clear cover letter cuts the re-review time. Reference the sheet number, detail number, and luminaire schedule row for each item. This one step alone reduces the chance of a third-round flag.

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Why you got flagged

Plan-checkers flag 150.0(k) for a handful of recurring reasons, and almost all of them come down to incomplete documentation on the lighting plan rather than fixtures that actually fail the spec.

The most common scenario is a missing or incomplete luminaire schedule. The plan-checker needs to see every permanently installed fixture listed with a manufacturer model number or fixture type designation that can be cross-referenced to a JA8 listing. If the schedule just says 'LED recessed can per owner selection' without a specific JA8-listed product, that's a flag. The checker can't verify compliance from vague notes.

A second common trigger is missing control notes. 150.0(k) isn't just about the fixtures — it specifies what type of control goes with each room. Bathrooms, garages, laundry rooms, utility rooms and walk-in closets need at least one luminaire on an occupancy or vacancy sensor with automatic-off, not just a standard switch. Living rooms and other habitable rooms require dimming controls unless a listed exception applies. If the electrical plan shows plain toggle switches throughout, the plan-checker will flag every room that should have a sensor or dimmer.

Remodel permits get caught when the scope of work touches existing lighting in a way that triggers the full lighting compliance review. Adding a circuit, moving a fixture, or opening a wall near a fixture location can pull the whole room into scope. Contractors sometimes assume that because they're not replacing every fixture, 150.0(k) doesn't apply — but if the permit scope includes that space, the plan-checker will look at it. Existing non-compliant fixtures in the affected area need to be upgraded or at minimum noted with a path to compliance.

The official code

California Energy Commission — Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24 Part 6)

Read the source →

Common questions

Does Title 24 150.0(k) apply to remodels or just new construction?
It applies to both, but the trigger for remodels depends on the scope of work. If your permit includes work in a space that has permanently installed lighting — even if you're not specifically replacing fixtures — the plan-checker may pull that space into 150.0(k) review. Adding a circuit, opening a wall, or expanding the electrical plan into a room can be enough. As a rule, if the space appears on the permitted electrical or architectural plan, assume 150.0(k) applies and spec JA8 fixtures and the correct controls. It's easier to show compliance upfront than to argue scope on a corrections letter.
What does JA8-compliant mean and where do I find listed products?
JA8 refers to Joint Appendix 8 of the California Title 24 Part 6 energy standards. It sets minimum efficacy and photometric requirements for LED luminaires used in residential construction. A JA8-listed product has been tested and certified by an accredited lab to meet those requirements. You can search for listed products in the California Energy Commission's Appliance Efficiency Database — look for the JA8 listing category. Most major lighting manufacturers publish their JA8 listing numbers in product spec sheets. If you can't find a JA8 number for a fixture, it doesn't qualify regardless of what the packaging says.
Can I use an occupancy sensor instead of a vacancy sensor in a bathroom?
Yes. Under the 2025 code, 150.0(k)2E requires at least one luminaire in bathrooms, garages, laundry rooms, utility rooms and walk-in closets to be controlled by an occupancy or vacancy sensor providing automatic-off functionality, so either type complies. Some local amendments or owner preferences favor vacancy (manual-on) sensors, so check your jurisdiction. Call out the sensor type and operating mode in your control schedule.
What happens if one fixture in the kitchen is not JA8-listed?
The plan-checker will flag the whole lighting section, not just that one fixture. When a luminaire schedule includes a non-listed product, it raises questions about the rest of the schedule too. The fastest path is to swap the non-compliant fixture for a JA8-listed alternative in the schedule before you resubmit. If you're mid-construction and the fixture is already rough-in, check whether another JA8-listed fixture with the same rough-in size is available from the same manufacturer — most residential fixture lines have a JA8 variant.
Do plug-in lamps and portable fixtures need to be JA8-compliant?
No. 150.0(k) applies to permanently installed luminaires only. Plug-in table lamps, floor lamps, and other portable fixtures are not covered. The distinction comes down to whether the fixture is hard-wired or controlled by a wall switch as part of the permanent electrical installation. If it plugs into an outlet, it's not subject to 150.0(k).
Does 150.0(k) apply to ADUs?
Yes. An ADU is a dwelling unit and is subject to the same residential energy standards as the primary structure. Every permanently installed luminaire in the ADU needs to be JA8-listed, and the same room-type control requirements apply: auto-off occupancy or vacancy sensors in bathrooms, laundry, utility rooms and walk-in closets; dimming controls in habitable rooms. The CF1R or CF2R compliance form for the ADU permit needs to document this. ADU permits get corrections on 150.0(k) frequently because the lighting plan sometimes gets treated as an afterthought on a small-scope job.
Is a dimmer required even if the homeowner doesn't want one?
Under 150.0(k), yes — habitable rooms with switched lighting require dimmers. Homeowner preference doesn't override the code requirement. A non-dimmable fixture is not one of the exceptions. The exceptions are a circuit with less than 20 watts of controlled lighting, lighting on an auto-off occupancy or vacancy sensor, ceiling fan lights on a remote, and navigation lighting under 5 watts. If none applies, the plan-checker needs to see a dimmer, and an undocumented toggle will get flagged every time.

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