Attached garage ceiling light
What's wrong here?
- The box is hanging from its cable, not fastened to anything
- Open porcelain keyless lampholders are not permitted in a garage
- A lighting outlet in a garage must be GFCI protected
- Nothing. This installation is compliant
Show the answer and the code reference
The answer
The outlet box and lampholder are supported only by the NM cable; the box must be rigidly secured to the structure or the finished ceiling.
Correct choice: 1. The box is hanging from its cable, not fastened to anything
314.23 says every box must be supported by one of its listed methods: fastened to framing or a brace (314.23(B)), or rigidly secured in a finished surface with clamps, anchors, or fittings identified for it (314.23(C)). A cable through a box clamp is not on that list; the only cable-hung box the Code allows is a pendant box under 314.23(H)(1), hung in an approved manner with strain relief. Left hanging, the weight and every bump from a ladder or the door pull on the clamp and the lampholder terminals until a conductor works loose. The ragged hole also leaves a gap in a garage ceiling that is often the fire separation from the house.
How to fix it
Install a ceiling box on a bar hanger or fastened to the joist, or an old-work ceiling box with clamps identified for the purpose, re-terminate the lampholder, and patch the drywall around it.
Code references
NEC 2023 314.23 — Supports
Enclosures within the scope of Article 314 shall be supported in accordance with one or more of the provisions in 314.23(A) through (H).
Drills citing 314.23NEC 2023 314.23(B) — Structural Mounting
An enclosure supported from a structural member of a building or from grade shall be rigidly supported either directly or by a metal, polymeric, or wood brace.
Drills citing 314.23(B)NEC 2023 314.23(C) — Mounting in Finished Surfaces
An enclosure mounted in a finished surface shall be rigidly secured to it by clamps, anchors, or fittings identified for the application.
Drills citing 314.23(C)
2026 NEC:same rule and number. 314.23 was revised in 2026, but the changes reported are to raceway-supported enclosures in 314.23(E) and (F) (fewer allowances; FS/FD and explosionproof boxes may hang on one raceway). Nothing found suggests a cable-hung box became acceptable, so the answer and fix stand. Confidence: medium
Minnesota
Minnesota adopts the NEC by reference without amendment (Minn. Rules 1315.0200; Minn. Stat. 326B.35), so 314.23 applies as published. The 2023 NEC governs permits filed July 1, 2023 through Aug. 16, 2026; the 2026 NEC governs permits filed on or after Aug. 17, 2026 (exams moved to the 2026 NEC on Sept. 8, 2026). See the 2026 NEC note on this drill.
How Minnesota adopts the NECWhy the other choices are wrong
- Open porcelain keyless lampholders are not permitted in a garage. 410.16 keeps open-lamp incandescent luminaires and pendant lampholders out of clothes closets; nothing bars a keyless lampholder in a garage.
- A lighting outlet in a garage must be GFCI protected. 210.8(A)(2) requires GFCI protection for the 125-volt through 250-volt receptacles in a garage, not for a lighting outlet like this lampholder.
- Nothing. This installation is compliant. An NM cable through an ordinary box clamp is not a support method in 314.23. The only cable-hung option, a pendant box under 314.23(H)(1), needs an approved strain-relief arrangement, and this is a fixed ceiling outlet.