# NEC 555.35 and ABYC E-13 Changes: What They Mean at the Marina | Long Beach Marine Electric

> Marina pedestals now trip at 30 mA under NEC 555.35, and ABYC E-13 sets the bar for lithium batteries. What both mean for boat owners in Long Beach marinas.

URL: https://longbeachmarineelectric.com/blog/nec-555-and-abyc-e13-rule-changes/

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# NEC 555.35 and ABYC E-13 Changes: What They Mean at the Marina

By Long Beach Marine Electric · October 6, 2026

[Long Beach Marine Electric](/) connects boat owners with marine electricians, and two rule changes now shape a lot of that work: one on the dock and one on the boat. Neither is brand new, but both are reaching more boats every year as marinas rebuild and owners upgrade.

## On the dock: 30 mA pedestals (NEC 555.35)

The 2023 National Electrical Code, section 555.35, requires ground-fault protection of **no more than 30 mA on each marina shore-power receptacle**, with 100 mA on feeders. The code cites ABYC Foundation research identifying 30 mA as the threshold that prevents most electric shock drowning incidents.

**Why it reaches boats now:** marinas apply the current code when they rebuild docks or replace pedestals. Long Beach’s Alamitos Bay Marina was rebuilt basin by basin from 2011, a roughly $96–98 million project, and other harbors are on similar cycles. Boats with small leakage faults that ran for years on older pedestals trip the new ones in seconds.

**What owners should do:** if your boat trips, it’s leaking current. Get a leakage test rather than looking for a pedestal that doesn’t trip. See [why a boat trips the shore power breaker](/guide/boat-tripping-shore-power-breaker/) and [marina ELCI requirements](/guide/marina-elci-requirements/).

## On the boat: lithium batteries (ABYC E-13)

ABYC ratified **E-13, its lithium-ion battery standard, in 2022**, and it applies to systems installed after July 31, 2023. It covers systems of 600 watt-hours or more (50 Ah and up on a 12-volt boat), requires a battery management system, recommends a warning before the BMS disconnects the battery, and requires detailed manufacturer documentation.

**Why it matters now:** lithium conversions have gone mainstream, and insurers increasingly use E-13 as their yardstick. Some decline lithium risk outright. Others accept it with a documented, standard-compliant installation.

**What owners should do:** talk to your insurer before buying batteries, design the whole charging system for lithium, and keep the installation records. See [lithium batteries and boat insurance](/guide/lithium-batteries-boat-insurance/).

## The common thread

Both changes reward boats wired properly and documented, and expose boats that aren’t. A leakage test and a written summary of electrical work are becoming as normal as a haul-out survey. See [marine electrical inspection](/marine-electrical-inspection/) or call **(562) 374-7233**.

## Sources

-   [NEC 2023 §555.35 excerpt (Mike Holt)](https://www.mikeholt.com/files/PDF/23_UNEC2_555.35.pdf)
-   [Panbo: ABYC ratifies E-13](https://panbo.com/abyc-ratifies-e-13-their-first-lithium-battery-standard/)
-   [The Log: Alamitos Bay Marina rebuild](https://www.thelog.com/local/353-slips-currently-offline-at-alamitos-bay-marina/)

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