Garage door opener hookup
What's wrong here?
- An extension cord stapled to the wall and ceiling is the opener's permanent supply
- A garage door opener must be hard-wired; a cord-and-plug connection is not permitted
- The workbench receptacle is not allowed to be GFCI protected because it supplies a motor load
- Nothing. This installation is compliant
Show the answer and the code reference
The answer
A flexible extension cord has been fastened to the wall and ceiling as the permanent power supply for the garage door opener.
Correct choice: 1. An extension cord stapled to the wall and ceiling is the opener's permanent supply
Flexible cord is not permitted as a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure, and it may not be attached to building surfaces (400.12(1) and 400.12(4)). An extension cord is listed for temporary, portable use; staples pinch and cut the jacket, the cord is not protected like a branch-circuit wiring method, and a damaged cord on a combustible ceiling is a fire waiting to happen. The opener is meant to plug into a receptacle outlet installed at the unit using a Chapter 3 wiring method.
How to fix it
Pull the extension cord and staples. Install a ceiling receptacle outlet within reach of the opener's cord, fed with NM or another Chapter 3 wiring method from a GFCI-protected garage circuit (210.8(A)(2)).
Code references
NEC 2023 400.12(1) — Uses Not Permitted
Unless specifically permitted by 400.10, flexible cords and cables shall not be used as a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure.
Drills citing 400.12(1)NEC 2023 400.12(4) — Uses Not Permitted
Flexible cords and cables shall not be attached to building surfaces (an exception permits cord and cable drops from busways to be attached to the building as described in 368.56(B)).
Drills citing 400.12(4)NEC 2023 210.8(A)(2) — GFCI Protection, Dwelling Units: Garages
125-volt through 250-volt receptacles in dwelling garages, supplied by single-phase branch circuits rated 150 volts to ground or less, shall have GFCI protection for personnel.
Drills citing 210.8(A)(2)
2026 NEC:same rule and number. No 2026 change to the 400.12 list was found: flexible cord still may not substitute for fixed wiring (item 1) or be attached to building surfaces (item 4). The only 2026 Article 400 change surfaced was a new informational note at 400.1 saying cord sets and power-supply cords made with Article 400 cord are covered by the article, which reinforces this drill. Confidence: medium
Minnesota
Minnesota adopted the 2023 NEC without amendment as the Minnesota Electrical Code (Minn. Rules 1315.0200; Minn. Stat. 326B.35), effective July 1, 2023, so 400.12 and 210.8(A)(2) apply as published. That edition governs permits filed through Aug. 16, 2026; permits filed on or after Aug. 17, 2026 fall under the 2026 NEC; see the 2026 NEC note on this drill for how the cited section fares there.
How Minnesota adopts the NECWhy the other choices are wrong
- A garage door opener must be hard-wired; a cord-and-plug connection is not permitted. Openers are listed for cord-and-plug connection to a receptacle at the unit. The problem is the extension cord standing in for the branch-circuit wiring, not the opener's own cord.
- The workbench receptacle is not allowed to be GFCI protected because it supplies a motor load. 210.8(A)(2) requires GFCI protection for all 125-volt, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles in a dwelling garage, and it has no motor or opener exception.
- Nothing. This installation is compliant. Flexible cord may not substitute for fixed wiring or be attached to building surfaces (400.12(1) and (4)).