Although the 2026 Edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC) is still a work in progress as of writing this article, it appears the issue of placing a date on the arc flash label is about to be clarified once and for all.

It has been a bit of a mix on whether a date was required.  In my article Date on the Arc Flash Label? from early 2024, I took a deep dive into arc flash labels and dates including no date requirements from NFPA 70E and minimal requirements from the NEC. It looks like this will be changing.

The 2023 Edition of the NEC only required the date on service equipment and feeder supplied equipment rated 1000 amperes or more.  NFPA 70E has never required a date.  Each NFPA 70E revision cycle will usually have a public input to include the date, and each cycle it is rejected.

NEC section 110.16 is going through a major revision and as it currently stands, will require the date to part of the label when a label is required.

110.16 Arc-Flash Hazard Marking
In other than welling units, a permanent arc flash marking shall be field or factory applied to service equipment and feeder-supplied equipment, such as switchboards, switchgear, enclosed panels, industrial control panels, meter socket enclosures, and motor control centers that are likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized.  The marking shall comply with 110.21(B), be located so as to be clearly visible to qualified persons, and be in accordance with applicable industry practice, contain the following information.

1)The nominal system voltage

2) The arc flash boundary

3) The available incident energy or minimum required level of personal protective equipment

4) The date the assessment was completed.

My personal commentary: Items 1 and 2 are identical to NFPA 70E 130.5(H)(1) and (H)(2).  Item 3 is a simplified version of NFPA 70E 130.5(H)(3) which provides a list of methods to identify arc rated PPE.  I believe item 3 should also include the working distance, but it does not. Maybe next time for the 2029 Edition.

Item 4 requires the date.  This is a welcome addition.  

Why is the date important? In addition to updating the analysis when changes occur in the electrical distribution system that could affect the results of the analysis, NFPA 70E 130.5(G) requires: “The incident energy analysis shall also be reviewed for accuracy at intervals not to exceed 5 years” Having the date on the label is a not so subtle reminder of when the 5 year clock started.