Nondestructive testing (NDT) requirements and standards are an important part of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. The evolution of these requirements and standards is reviewed in this paper in the context of the unique technical and legal stature of the ASME Code. The coherent and consistent manner by which the ASME Code rules are organized is described, and the interrelationship between the various ASME Code sections, the piping codes, and the ASTM standards is discussed. Significant changes occurred in ASME Sections V and XI during the 1980s; these are highlighted along with projections and comments regarding future trends and changes in these important documents.