Reddit reviews National Electrical Code 2011 Handbook

Well. First things first, you have to follow the National Electric Code.

I would recommend getting one of these.

That book is over a thousand pages and it deals with just about any conceivable wiring situation.

Now not only do you have to deal with that but you also need to deal with the National Building Code which has it's own things to say about electrical work.

In my state you don't need any sort of license to do electrical work but you do have to have your work inspected by a licensed inspector. (Nobody does this for small jobs, mainly talking about new panels, service, etc)

That's the problem though, every state is different so your state could have loads of ridiculous regulations that you'll have to learn in addition to the NEC and NBC. Some of the things might even contradict each other.

I'm an EE working at design engineering firm. This book, NEC Handbook is the one you want to have on your desk as one of your references. Additionally, this another book is a very good resource: Practical Electrical Wiring

No. Code books actually come out every 3 years and they can be pricey. Every 3 years a gathering of engineers, fire marshals and representatives of the insurance industry (more engineers) makes an update. It is the bible to an electrician and there's state and local codes on top of that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Electrical_Code