For a Class 1 structure in Indiana, check that the code analysis cites the 2014 Indiana Building Code, 675 IAC 13-2.6, which adopts the 2012 IBC and ANSI A117.1-2009 and has been in effect since December 1, 2014, along with the Indiana fire, mechanical, fuel gas, plumbing, electrical, and energy rules for each discipline. A 2026 Indiana Building Code based on the 2024 IBC is in rulemaking with no effective date set, so confirm with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) which rules apply when you file for the state design release. AI can flag conflicts; the design professional and IDHS decide compliance.
Which Indiana rules apply to a set of drawings?
The Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission adopts Indiana’s statewide building and fire safety rules in Title 675 of the Indiana Administrative Code. Its rules table lists the editions it describes as currently in effect: the 2014 Indiana Building Code at 675 IAC 13-2.6 (2012 IBC and ANSI A117.1-2009, effective December 1, 2014), the 2020 Indiana Residential Code at 675 IAC 14-4.4 (2018 IRC, effective December 26, 2019), the 2012 Indiana Plumbing Code at 675 IAC 16-1.4 (2006 IPC, effective December 24, 2012), the 2009 Indiana Electrical Code at 675 IAC 17-1.8 (2008 NEC, effective August 26, 2009), the 2014 Indiana Mechanical Code at 675 IAC 18-1.6 (2012 IMC), the 2010 Indiana Energy Conservation Code at 675 IAC 19-4 (ASHRAE 90.1-2007, effective May 6, 2010), the 2014 Indiana Fire Code at 675 IAC 22-2.5 (2012 IFC), and the 2014 Indiana Fuel Gas Code at 675 IAC 25-3 (2012 IFGC), the last three effective December 1, 2014. Separate rules cover the visitability rule for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses (675 IAC 27), NFPA standards such as NFPA 13, 13R, and 72 at the editions 675 IAC 28 names, swimming pools (675 IAC 20), and elevators and lifts (675 IAC 21). The table lists no adoption of the International Existing Building Code. IDHS notes that the table is an informal guide and that 675 IAC itself governs.
An update is in progress but not in effect. The Building Code Update Committee was charged with drafting a rule to replace 675 IAC 13-2.6 based on the 2024 IBC, and its June 1, 2026 draft would add 675 IAC 13-2.7, the 2026 Indiana Building Code, and repeal 13-2.6, with the effective date left blank. The Commission’s meeting materials show it approved the regulatory analyses for the building code and a parallel 2026 Indiana Fire Code (2024 IFC) on September 1, 2026, and its October 6, 2026 agenda lists both as “Regulatory Analysis Submitted.” The regulatory analysis lists the anticipated effective date as to be determined. On August 4, 2026 the Commission adopted final rules for the Indiana Electrical Code, 2026 Edition (2023 NEC), and the Indiana Plumbing Code, 2026 Edition, and the October agenda lists their final rule binders as submitted. We found no published effective date for any of these updates. All checked October 28, 2026. Do not cite the 2024 IBC, the 2024 IFC, or the 2023 NEC as Indiana’s code until IDHS or the Indiana Register shows the rule in effect, and ask IDHS which rules govern on your filing date.
State review runs through the IDHS Building Plan Review Section, which reviews Class 1 structures for compliance with the Commission’s rules. Its plan review process page defines a Class 1 structure, following IC 22-12-1-4, as one used or occupied by the public, by employees, or by three or more tenants, along with site improvements that affect people with disabilities and storage facilities for flammable and combustible liquids or gases. It says all Class 1 structures must be filed, lists exemptions in 675 IAC 12-6-4, and notes that work exempt from filing must still comply and may need local permits. An application starts a 10-business-day clock, after which IDHS issues a construction design release, a notice of incomplete filing, or a notice that the project was selected for review. Since July 1, 2026, IDHS says some plans may qualify for release without review, including through self-certification by experienced Indiana registered design professionals. These plans still have to be submitted and may still be selected for review. Permit routing is on the Indiana page, and the model codes have their own guides: IBC, IRC, IFC, ASHRAE 90.1, and NFPA 70.
Gather the code analysis, the design release scope, and each discipline’s sheets
Collect the cover sheet and code analysis with the 675 IAC rules and years cited, and the drawings IDHS lists for a Class 1 site-built filing: the site plan, foundation plans, dimensioned floor plans, fire and life safety plan, exterior wall elevations, wall, floor, and roof sections, structural plans, room finish and door schedules, and the electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and fire protection plans. Add the energy compliance documentation (the IDHS page points to COMcheck using ASHRAE 90.1-2007 or the 2009 IECC, or an equivalent), the accessibility plans and details, and the specifications.
Add the planned filing date, the scopes being filed (full, partial, addendum, or separate fire alarm, sprinkler, hood, or tank filings), any request for release without review, and the local permit requirements. For existing buildings, add the scope of work and the IDHS Chapter 34 (Existing Buildings) checklist if the team uses it.
Trace the 675 IAC rules through the set
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Building code edition | Cover sheet, code analysis, general notes, 675 IAC 13-2.6 | Confirm the 2014 Indiana Building Code (2012 IBC as amended) is cited, not the 2024 IBC or the draft 2026 Indiana Building Code. |
| Class 1 or Class 2 | Occupancy data, tenant count, project description, IDHS filing guidance | Record whether the building is a Class 1 structure filed with IDHS or a dwelling under the Indiana Residential Code, and cite the matching rule. |
| Discipline code years | Mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas, electrical, and fire protection notes and specifications | Check each discipline against its 675 IAC rule: the 2012 IMC and IFGC, the 2006 IPC, the 2008 NEC, and the NFPA editions 675 IAC 28 names, unless IDHS confirms a newer rule is in effect. |
| Accessibility basis | Accessibility plans, toilet room details, site plan, code analysis | Confirm accessible elements cite the Indiana Building Code and ANSI A117.1-2009, and check whether the visitability rule applies to townhouses or dwellings on the site. |
| Energy path | COMcheck or equivalent, envelope details, lighting and mechanical schedules | Match the energy documentation to the 2010 Indiana Energy Conservation Code and the path IDHS accepts, and the forms to the drawings. |
| Design release scope | Application, scope list, fire alarm, sprinkler, and hood sheets | Check that every scope in the drawings is filed or planned as a partial or addendum filing, and that local permits are tracked separately. |
Sprinkler and alarm sheets continue in the NFPA 13 guide and the NFPA 72 guide, mechanical and fuel gas in the IMC and IFGC guides, plumbing in the IPC guide, accessible details in the ICC A117.1 guide and the accessibility checklist, electrical sheets in the electrical drawing checklist, and the full set in the architectural drawing checklist. Other state codes with their own adoption rules are in the Pennsylvania UCC guide and the Minnesota guide.
Example: a set drawn to the newest model codes
Hypothetical example. A single-story restaurant with a commercial kitchen hood in Fort Wayne is designed in fall 2026 by a team that usually works in states on recent code cycles. The code analysis cites the 2024 IBC and IFC, the accessibility sheets cite ICC A117.1-2017, the sprinkler notes cite the current NFPA 13, the electrical notes cite the 2023 NEC, and the energy forms use the 2021 IECC. The cover sheet does not list which scopes will be filed for the IDHS design release.
The code analysis cites the 2024 IBC and IFC, while the IDHS rules table lists the 2014 Indiana Building Code and Fire Code (2012 IBC and IFC) as in effect and the 2026 updates have no effective date. The accessibility, sprinkler, electrical, and energy references also cite editions other than those 675 IAC adopts, and the design release scopes for the hood and sprinkler work are not identified. Confirm the rules in effect on the filing date and coordinate the code analysis, discipline notes, and filing scope.
The architect confirms the code basis with IDHS Building Plan Review, revises the code analysis and discipline references, and lists the hood and sprinkler work as filed scopes. The finding is a citation conflict; IDHS and the local building official decide compliance.
Review an Indiana set with Groundbook
Upload the current drawings and specifications to Groundbook, and state the edition, amendments, and review scope in your instructions. Title 675 of the Indiana Administrative Code is free on the Indiana Register website, and the Commission’s rules table links each article. Upload the 675 IAC rules you need as code files, with the 2012 International Codes, ANSI A117.1-2009, ASHRAE 90.1-2007, the 2008 NEC, and the NFPA standards they adopt, using copies you are licensed to use where the license permits uploading them. See how Groundbook works with local and licensed codes.
Compare the cover sheet, code analysis, and every discipline’s general notes with the architectural, life safety, accessibility, structural, mechanical, plumbing, fuel gas, electrical, fire protection, and energy documents. Flag citations to the 2024 IBC, 2024 IFC, 2023 NEC, or other editions not adopted in the supplied 675 IAC rules, accessibility not cited to the Indiana Building Code and ANSI A117.1-2009, energy forms that do not follow the 2010 Indiana Energy Conservation Code, NFPA editions that differ from 675 IAC 28, and drawing scopes such as hoods, sprinklers, or fire alarms with no design release filing noted. Use the supplied 675 IAC rules and model codes and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the note or sheet and to the 675 IAC rule or model code you uploaded. It compares what the documents state; it does not decide which rule is in effect or whether a project must be filed.
Document review does not certify compliance, issue a design release, or replace the design professional, IDHS Building Plan Review, or the local building official.