Albuquerque, NM Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger 1
- 5% of spaces at 240V, if lot has >200 spaces
- Trigger 2
- 1 EV-capable space/unit, townhouses >6 units
- Trigger 3
- 1 charger per 20 units, multi-family >100 units
- Parking-max credit
- 240V EV space doesn't count against max
- Penalty
- Up to $500 per violation per day
Summary
Albuquerque's Integrated Development Ordinance requires new large parking lots and multi-family or mixed-use projects to install electric vehicle charging. Once a project builds more than 200 off-street spaces, at least 5 percent must include 240-volt EV charging stations, and new apartment or mixed-use developments over 100 units must add EV capacity, per IDO § 14-16-5-5(C)(9).
When more than 200 off-street parking spaces are constructed, at least 5 percent of the vehicle parking spaces shall include electric vehicle charging stations installed with a rating of 240 volts or higher. ... All new townhouse developments containing more than 6 dwelling units shall provide at least 1 parking space that is EV capable per dwelling unit. ... All new multi-family residential developments or new mixed-use developments containing more than 100 dwelling units shall meet both of the following requirements. 1. At least 1 electric vehicle (EV) charging station installed with a rating of 240 volts or higher shall be provided for every 20 dwelling units. 2. At least 1 EV capable parking space shall be provided for every 4 dwelling units. ... An order to pay a civil penalty not to exceed $500 per violation per day.
Full Breakdown
The IDO's Electric Vehicle Parking standard, § 14-16-5-5(C)(9), sets three separate triggers tied to project size. First, when more than 200 off-street parking spaces are constructed for any use, at least 5 percent of those spaces must include an EV charging station rated 240 volts or higher, roughly a Level 2 charger. Second, any new townhouse development with more than 6 dwelling units must provide at least 1 EV-capable parking space, wired and ready for a charger even if none is installed yet, per dwelling unit.
Third, new multi-family residential or mixed-use developments with more than 100 dwelling units carry the heaviest obligation: at least 1 working 240-volt EV charging station for every 20 units, plus at least 1 EV-capable space for every 4 units. The Planning Department reviews these counts at site plan and building permit stages. Developers also get a parking-maximum incentive for going further: a 240-volt EV charging space doesn't count against a project's separate parking maximum at all, and an EV-capable space counts as only half a space against that cap.
Enforcement runs through the Zoning Enforcement Officer under § 14-16-6-9; a hearing officer handling an administrative civil enforcement case can order a civil penalty of up to $500 per violation per day until a project comes into compliance with the required charging or capable-space counts.
Violations & Fines
A project that skips the required EV charging stations or EV-capable spaces is in violation of the IDO and subject to enforcement by the Zoning Enforcement Officer under § 14-16-6-9. A hearing officer can order the property brought into compliance, assess a civil penalty of up to $500 per violation per day, and require payment of the City's enforcement and hearing costs; appeals go to District Court within 30 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every Albuquerque business have to install EV chargers?
What counts as an 'EV-capable' space versus an EV charging station?
What happens if a developer doesn't install the required chargers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Albuquerque
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