Mississippi Building Codes Council Adopts 2003 IBC and IRC for the State
In a first step towards statewide rules on how homes and businesses are built in the state of
Mississippi, the 26-member Mississippi Building Codes Council adopted the 2003 International
Building Code (IBC)/International Residential Code (IRC) body of regulations for the state. While
the action does not require local governments in Mississippi to adopt building codes, it does
ensure that when they choose to adopt construction rules, they have to adopt IBC/IRC or stronger
regulations depending on region.
Created by legislation earlier this year, the new council had until July 1, 2007, to adopt
standardized construction rules for the state. The Council now has a year to study issues and
decide whether to make any amendments to the IBC/IRC rules. By July 2007, the Council might
upgrade the state to the 2006 version of the IBC and IRC. The 2006 version was not selected as
it's so new that few building inspectors or contractors are familiar with it, and training is not yet
widely available.
Copy of Senate Bill 2807