Can I replace a 1960s Federal Pacific panel in a garage next to an exterior door?
Replacing a Federal Pacific Stab Lok panelboard is a good call on its own merits. Those panels have a long documented history of breakers failing to trip on overload and short circuit, the original listing is no longer valid, and replacement breakers on the market are not listed for the enclosure. Nothing in the NEC forces you to remove an existing installation, but the moment you replace the equipment you are installing new equipment and current code applies to that work.
The clearance question
A panel in a garage next to an exterior door is not prohibited. What matters is the working space in 110.26(A). For equipment operating at 150 volts or less to ground with exposed live parts on one side and no live or grounded parts on the other, Table 110.26(A)(1) Condition 1 gives you a minimum depth of 900 mm, or 3 feet, measured from the exposed live parts or the enclosure front. The width in 110.26(A)(2) is 30 inches or the width of the equipment, whichever is greater, and that space can be centered any way you like as long as the dead front can open at least 90 degrees. Height in 110.26(A)(3) is 6.5 feet or the height of the equipment, whichever is greater, and that volume is dedicated.
The door is only a problem if it reduces that space. A door that swings into the 36 inch depth or blocks a 90 degree swing of the panel cover is a violation. A door that swings away from the panel or opens along the wall past it is not. Measure it with the door in every position it can reach.
Other placement rules that apply in a garage
Section 240.24(D) prohibits overcurrent devices in the vicinity of easily ignitible material, which in a garage means keeping the panel clear of stored paint, solvents, and rags. Section 240.24(E) keeps them out of bathrooms and 240.24(F) out of the space over steps. Section 110.26(E)(1) requires the dedicated space to extend from the floor to 6 feet above the equipment or to the structural ceiling, whichever is lower, with no piping, ducts, or equipment foreign to the electrical installation in it. A garage ceiling with a sprinkler main or a gas line running directly over the panel is the usual failure here, though 110.26(E)(1)(b) does permit sprinkler protection for the space.
What the 2023 NEC adds on a service equipment swap
Two sections catch people. Section 230.67(A) requires a surge protective device for services supplying dwelling units, and 230.67(D) states that where the service equipment is replaced, all of the requirements of that section apply. So a panel change on a house means an SPD, either integral to the panelboard or installed at the next level downstream per 230.67(B).
Section 230.85 in the 2023 NEC requires an emergency disconnect at a readily accessible outdoor location for one and two family dwellings. Whether a replacement triggers it depends on the adopted edition and the local amendment, so confirm with the authority having jurisdiction before you order the gear. This one changes the scope of the job substantially if it applies.
Grounding and bonding on an old service
A 1960s service almost never meets 250.50 and 250.52. Expect to add ground rods spaced at least 6 feet apart per 250.53(A)(3), bond the metal water piping within 5 feet of entry per 250.104(A)(1), and bond the gas piping per 250.104(B). Section 250.66 sets the grounding electrode conductor size, and 250.53(A)(2) Exception lets you skip the second rod if a single rod tests at 25 ohms or less.
Field takeaway
The garage location is legal if you hold 36 inches deep, 30 inches wide, 6.5 feet high, and the door does not intrude. Budget for a surge protective device, a full grounding electrode system upgrade, and a conversation with the inspector about whether 230.85 applies to your replacement.