How many receptacles can one GFCI protect?

The NEC sets no specific limit. Every receptacle wired to the GFCI load terminals is protected, subject to normal circuit loading rules in 210 and the device instructions.

Do protected downstream receptacles need labels?

Yes. Receptacles protected by an upstream device must be marked GFCI Protected, and if they lack an equipment ground, No Equipment Ground, per NEC 406.4(D).

Can You Feed Multiple Receptacles From One GFCI?

A user asked the app whether multiple regular receptacles can be fed downstream from one GFCI receptacle. Yes, and it is one of the most useful tricks in residential wiring when it is done correctly.

Line versus load is everything

A GFCI receptacle has two pairs of terminals. LINE receives power from the panel. LOAD sends protected power onward. Every standard receptacle wired from the LOAD terminals gets the same ground fault protection as the GFCI itself, because the electronics compare current on the hot and neutral for everything passing through. Wire the downstream outlets to LINE by mistake and they get power but no protection, which is a common DIY error the self test generation of devices will not catch for you.

How many is too many

The NEC does not cap the number of receptacles on the load side. The practical limits are the branch circuit rules in Article 210 and the device instructions per 110.3(B). A typical 20 amp garage or bathroom circuit with a GFCI at the first opening and four or five standard receptacles downstream is routine. Very long daisy chains increase the odds of cumulative leakage current from appliances and long wiring runs, which shows up as occasional tripping with no obvious cause, so keep runs sensible.

Labeling is code, not decoration

Those little stickers in the GFCI box exist because of 406.4(D). Downstream receptacles protected by an upstream device get the GFCI Protected mark. On old two wire circuits where a GFCI is used to legalize three prong receptacles without an equipment ground, the downstream devices need both GFCI Protected and No Equipment Ground marks. Inspectors look for them, and they save the next electrician a confusing afternoon tracing why a dead receptacle has no local reset.

Field tips that prevent callbacks

Put the GFCI at the most accessible first outlet, not behind the freezer or a workbench, because someone has to reach the reset. Do not feed a second GFCI from the load side of the first; it works but produces double trips and confusion, so wire additional GFCIs line side if you want local resets. And on multiwire branch circuits, standard single pole GFCI receptacles on a shared neutral will nuisance trip; that layout wants a two pole GFCI breaker instead.

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