Do I need GFCI protection for the Laundry room?

The NEC (National Electrical Code) changes and updates many times. This is also affected according to the JHA (Jurisdiction Having Authority) and which version and parts of the code they have adopted. For this discussion, we will look at the safety side of it. When this was written, the NEC said this "210.8 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel

(A) Dwelling Units. All 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles installed in the locations specified in 210.8(A)(1) through (10) shall have ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for personnel.

(10) Laundry Areas

Copyright© 2013 National Fire Protection Association (See NEC for complete text)

You will notice that the "(10) Laundry Areas" does not give a distance or measurement from a water source. Therefore, it would be up to the code enforcer to determine what is considered the area.

If it is a small area or dedicated laundry room, then to be safe, all the plugs would be GFCI protected. It is noted that it is not the items being used that are being protected but the receptacles. Below is a helpful illustration, courtesy of InterNACHI, of other areas that should have GFCI protection as well as AFCI protection.

There are a few different ways to protect your receptacles. One way is to have a licensed electrician install a GFCI receptacle at the receptacle box. Many jurisdictions, for new as well as remodel projects, require a tamper-proof GFCI receptacle, so be sure to check with your local codes.

A second way is in the electrical box, commonly referred to as the breaker box, using a GFCI circuit breaker. This protects all receptacles downstream from the breaker at one time.

Illustrations Courtesy of InterNACHI.org