Originally Posted by
Steve Brooks
abandoned wires are not permitted inside a panel.
Huh?
They are, they just need to be "abandoned" properly.
That means in some type of insulated cap (a wire nut) and secured up out of the way so they cannot come into contact with anything which is 'hot'.
*The best way* to abandon a circuit in a panel is to connect all conductors together (both the white and black, or black and red, or white, black and red) with a new green wire which then goes to the ground terminal bar. This not only prevents them from accidentally becoming 'hot' from within the panel, it also prevents someone from making them 'hot' at the other end ... 'what are these loose wires here for, hmmmmm ... guess I'll connect them here, looks like they were connected here once' ... OOPS!