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I think Chicago and maybe all of Cook County Illinois are a notable exception to that, and with goofy, overbearing codes to top it off.

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That’s where I live and to my knowledge, this is true. We haven’t got a monopoly though. Lived in Atlanta for many years and once asked around a bit. Pretty sure I could not legally do so much as replace a receptacle by myself. From what I can tell, it is usually more rural areas where it’s legal to do your own work and then have it inspected.

Ridiculous. Needless to say, I’ve done plenty of electrical work over the years. Would have loved to have some of it inspected, but that wasn’t allowed.

Exactly this - over-regulation keeps people from using the safety mechanisms at all.

My other favorite example is gun background checks. If I want to sell a gun to a guy in my neighborhood that I don't really know, there's no practical way to do it such that he gets the background check you get when you buy from a dealer. Completely ridiculous.

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