BUYER WARNING

They look real. They’re not.

AI-made knockoffs of Mike Holt code books are sold online. These copies were bought so the evidence could be put on the table.

Four counterfeit copies of Understanding the National Electrical Code laid out on a wooden table
Every book in this photo is fake.
SEE IT FOR YOURSELF

The evidence locker

The fakes were bought. The fakes were scanned. Now you can read them, if you dare.

Read for laughs. Never for wiring.

WARNING: Every page is stamped COUNTERFEIT – DO NOT USE. The content in these books is wrong. Do not use them for installations, studying, or exams.

EXHIBIT D COUNTERFEIT
Cover of a counterfeit Volume 1 labeled Mike Holt’s Illustrated Guide, using Mike Holt’s name and photo

Understanding the NEC, Vol. 1

By… “Mike Holt”?!

This one didn’t bother with a new name. It borrows Mike’s name and photo right on the cover. The boldest fake yet, and the reason you always check the back.

550 pages52 MB
OPEN THE EVIDENCE (PDF)

MORE EXHIBITS ADDED AS WE FIND THEM

WHAT WE FOUND

The findings

What buyers have reported after opening these books.

Rewritten content

Text has been changed in key places, so you can’t trust what you’re reading. Print quality is poor, too.

The wrong code year

Covers say 2026. Inside, buyers found 2008 NEC content and nothing from 2026.

Not based on the NEC.

Cartoon-style material that buyers say has nothing to do with the actual code.

AI-written pages

Mike Holt graphics next to content that appears to be AI-generated.

CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY

How to spot the real one

The cover can lie. The back cover can’t.

  1. 1Flip it over. A genuine book lists Mike Holt as the author. Not Michael Hayes. Not Michael Hamilton.
  2. 2Find the publisher. Mike Holt Enterprises appears on the back cover of every real book.
  3. 3Check the seller. The publisher named on a real book is Mike Holt Enterprises. A lookalike shop is not.
  4. 4On Amazon? Read the seller name before you buy. Do not trust a listing just because the cover looks right.
ALREADY BOUGHT ONE?

Stop. Don’t wire from it.

Its content may not meet the electrical code. Use current, verified code resources instead.

  1. 1Ask the seller or marketplace for a refund on the fake book.
  2. 2Dispute the charge with your credit card company for the fake book.
  3. 3Report the ad as a scam on the platform where you saw it to help stop more sales.

Seen one for sale?

Do not buy it. Use the checks above, and do not wire from a book you cannot verify.