Auburn, WA Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

Chapter 18.47 ACC, adopted in 2011 and last amended by Ordinance 6885 in 2022, permits electric vehicle charging outright in every zoning district in the city, though Level 1 and Level 2 stations in the PUD, RC, R-1, R-5, R-7, R-10, R-16 and R-20 residential districts are allowed only as an accessory use to a permitted principal use, and rapid (Level 3) charging in those same residential zones is limited to "restricted" charging stations as defined in ACC 18.04.354. Battery exchange stations are barred from residential, C-N, RO and downtown-unit-code zones and permitted only in the C-1, C-2, C-3, M-1, M-2, I and P-1 districts.

ACC 18.47.030 makes clear no development is ever required to install a charging station. Where a private lot voluntarily provides charging, ACC 18.47.060 sets no minimum number of spaces but lets a charging stall count toward a site's minimum required parking. ACC 18.47.050 requires accessible charging stations on a sliding scale tied to lot size, starting at one accessible station for the first 50 charging stations and rising to six for 251 to 300 stations, located on a barrier-free route to the building entrance. ACC 18.47.070 requires signage at every charging space stating time limits, hours of operation, and that the space is reserved for vehicles actively connected and charging; the city also collects the geographic location, installation date, equipment type and owner contact information for every publicly available station under ACC 18.47.060(E).