Mandatory Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Building Standards

The California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) published mandatory building standards requiring pre-wiring for EV charger installation in parking spaces at one- and two-family housing units with attached private garages, multi-family dwellings, commercial facilities, and public buildings in the California Green Building Standards Code within the California Building Standards Code.

New one- and two-unit single family dwellings or townhouses with attached private garages must have an electrical conduit installed that is capable of supporting a Level 2 EV charger. For new multifamily housing and hotels, 40% of parking spaces must be capable of supporting a low-power Level 2 EV charger and 10% of parking spaces must be equipped with Level 2 EV chargers.

For public parking facilities, minimum EV charger pre-wiring installation requirements are based on the number of parking spaces, per parking facility, as follows:

Total Actual Parking Spaces	Required EV-Capable Parking Spaces	Required Number of Parking Spaces with Level 2 EV Chargers
0 to 9	0	0
10 to 25	4	0
26 to 50	8	2
51 to 75	13	3
76 to 100	17	4
101 to 151	25	6
151 to 200	35	9
201 and over	20% of total parking spaces	25% of EV-capable parking spaces

Public facilities must also install accessible EV chargers when installing new or additional EV chargers. Minimum accessible EV charger installation requirements, per parking facility, are as follows:

Total EV Chargers	Van Accessible EV Chargers	Standard Accessible EV Chargers	Ambulatory Accessible EV Chargers
1 to 4	1	0	0
5 to 25	1	1	0
26 to 50	1	1	1
51 to 75	1	2	2
76 to 100	1	3	3
101 and over	1, plus 1 for each 300, or fraction thereof, over 100	3, plus 1 for each 60, or fraction thereof, over 100	3, plus 1 for each 50, or fraction thereof, over 100

In cases in which EV chargers can simultaneously charge more than one vehicle, the number of EV chargers provided shall be considered equivalent to the number of EVs that can be simultaneously charged.

Beginning January 1, 2023, CBSC must convene a workshop to evaluate demand for EV charging infrastructure, electric load forecasts, and statewide transportation electrification goals and use the workshop’s findings to recommend updates to EV charging station building standards. The workshop must convene and propose recommendations on a triennial basis. CBSC must also publish guidance and best practices for installing EV charging stations.

Additional requirements may apply. For more information, including exemptions and additional regulations and requirements, see the CBSC website.

(Reference California Health and Safety Code 18941.10, 18941.11, and 18941.17, California Green Building Standards Title 24, Part 11, Chapters 4 and 5, and California Building Code Chapters 2 and 11B)