NEC 90.15: before 2023

What 90.15 Looked Like Before 2023

In the 2020 NEC and earlier editions, there was no Section 90.15. Article 90 ended at 90.9 (Units of Measurement). The 2023 cycle added 90.15 to centralize rules on reconditioned equipment, but before that, the same concepts lived in other places... mainly Article 110 and scattered product-specific articles.

If you are working to a 2020 or 2017 NEC jurisdiction, you will not find "90.15" at all. Do not cite it. The AHJ will mark it up. Instead, you reach for the older, distributed rule set that covered the same ground.

Where the Reconditioning Rules Actually Lived

Pre-2023, the backbone was NEC 110.21(A)(2). That section required reconditioned equipment to be marked with the name, trademark, or other descriptive marking identifying the organization responsible for the reconditioning, along with the date. Original manufacturer markings had to stay visible or be duplicated.

On top of 110.21(A)(2), individual articles called out whether their equipment could or could not be reconditioned. That meant you had to check the specific article for whatever you were installing.

• Molded case breakers: reconditioning prohibited, see 240.87 and informational notes in 240.
• GFCI devices: not permitted to be reconditioned, 210.8 area product standards.
• AFCI devices: not permitted to be reconditioned, 210.12.
• Surge protective devices: reconditioning prohibited, 242.6 (2020) or equivalent language.
• Low voltage power circuit breakers and medium voltage switchgear: reconditioning permitted per 240.67, 240.87, and 490 provisions.

What Counts as Reconditioned

Before 2023, the NEC informational material (and the UL definitions it leaned on) treated reconditioned equipment as gear that had been restored to operating condition through disassembly, cleaning, repair, replacement of parts, and retesting. A refurbished 800A frame breaker pulled from a demo job, cleaned, relubed, contacts dressed, and retested is reconditioned. A breaker you wiped off with a rag and threw back in a panel is not reconditioned, it is used, and the Code did not recognize it as listed equipment.

The distinction matters on inspection. If you roll in with a reconditioned 2500A main from a surplus yard, the inspector will look for the reconditioner's label and the date per 110.21(A)(2), and will check the relevant equipment article to confirm reconditioning is allowed for that product.

Field tip: before 2023, if a product article was silent on reconditioning, reconditioning was generally permitted provided 110.21(A)(2) marking was met. Silence did not mean prohibition. That changed in 2023.

Why the 2023 Cycle Moved It to 90.15

CMP-1 wanted a single, general rule up front in Article 90 so inspectors and installers were not hunting across articles to determine if a piece of equipment could be reconditioned. Pre-2023 you had to know where to look. Post-2023, 90.15 gives you the baseline and then the individual articles carve out exceptions or outright prohibitions.

For work under a pre-2023 code, the functional rule is still the same in practice. Look for the reconditioner marking, look for article-specific language, and if anything is missing, do not install it.

Inspection and Jobsite Checklist

When you are stuck on an older code cycle and someone hands you reconditioned gear, walk the list before energizing.

1. Confirm the listing mark from the original manufacturer is present or duplicated.
2. Confirm a reconditioner's mark with name or trademark, and date of reconditioning (110.21(A)(2)).
3. Pull the NEC article that covers the product. Verify reconditioning is not prohibited.
4. Check the AHJ memo or local amendments. Some jurisdictions banned reconditioned gear outright in service equipment well before 2023.
5. Verify torque values, interrupting rating, and series ratings against the reconditioner's documentation, not the original nameplate only.

Field tip: if the nameplate is scratched off or illegible, it is not usable, reconditioned or not. 110.21(A) requires legible marking. Reject it and note it on your RFI.

Common Mistakes on Pre-2023 Jobs

The most frequent miss is citing 90.15 on a jurisdiction that never adopted it. If the state is still on the 2020 NEC, 90.15 does not exist. Cite 110.21(A)(2) and the specific product article. Writing "per 90.15" on a pre-2023 submittal will earn you a correction notice.

The second miss is assuming "reconditioned" and "refurbished" and "remanufactured" are interchangeable. They are not. Pre-2023, only "reconditioned" had NEC-level treatment tied to 110.21(A)(2). Remanufactured gear that carries a new serial number and a fresh listing from the original manufacturer is treated as new equipment, not reconditioned.

Third, do not rely on verbal assurances from a surplus vendor. If the gear shows up without a reconditioner's label and date, it is noncompliant under the pre-2023 rules. Send it back.