Adjacent to the Panel Door
For the 2020 NEC, the location of the circuit directory has been expanded to include “an approved location adjacent to the panel door".
This new code language allows homeowners and electricians to install the circuit directory adjacent to the electrical panel, which means we can use larger directories.
There is only so much “real estate” inside of a panelboard cover or door.
In the past, panel schedules were required to be on the face of, or inside of the panelboard This makes it much easier to include more detail on the directory to correctly identify all the circuits being used in a house.
Here is the code change reference
2020 Code Language
408.4(A) Circuit Directory or Circuit Identification.
Every circuit and circuit modification shall be legibly identified as to its clear, evident, and specific purpose or use. The identification shall include an approved degree of detail that allows each circuit to be distinguished from all others. Spare positions that contain unused overcurrent devices or switches shall be described accordingly. The identification shall be included in a circuit directory that is located on the face, inside of, or in an approved location adjacent to the panel door in the case of a panelboard and at each switch or circuit breaker in a switchboard or switchgear. No circuit shall be described in a manner that depends on transient conditions of occupancy.
What are Approved locations?
In the context of National Electrical Code (NEC) Section 408.4(A), the term "approved location" relies heavily on the official NEC definition of the word Approved.
According to NEC Article 100, Approved means "Acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction" AHJ—usually your local electrical inspector.
Because the code does not provide a rigid checklist of exact physical spaces, an approved location adjacent to the panel door is determined by common industry practices, safety constraints, and the inspector's discretion.
Here is what is typically required and accepted as an "approved location right adjacent to the panel door":
Click here for our list of approved locations (article)Why "Adjacent" Matters for Safety
The intent behind this rule is first-responder and technician safety. If there is an electrical emergency (such as an electrical fire or someone experiencing an arc flash/shock), a person needs to be able to open the panel or approach it and instantly identify which breaker isolates the fault. If the directory is missing, illegible, or located somewhere else in the room, valuable seconds are lost.