Baytown, TX Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

Baytown's Unified Land Development Code permits electric vehicle (EV) charging stations as an accessory use tied to an approved parking area or fueling station service area in any zoning district (ULDC Sec. 35(5)(a)). The code defines Level 1 stations as slow chargers on a fifteen-to-twenty-amp breaker on a one-hundred-twenty-volt AC circuit, Level 2 as medium chargers on a forty-to-one-hundred-amp breaker on a two-hundred-eight-or-two-hundred-forty-volt AC circuit, and Level 3 (fast/rapid) stations on a sixty-amp-or-higher breaker on a four-hundred-eighty-volt-or-higher three-phase circuit with special grounding equipment (Sec. 35(5)(c)-(d)).

Because the technology is new, the Code Enforcement Officer may authorize variations from the equipment standards so long as the chapter's intent is met. Outside single-unit residential installations, charging spaces must be reserved for EV parking and charging only, and nonresidential or agricultural-district stations must be posted with dedicated EV-only signage; way-finding signage guiding drivers to the stations needs Development Department approval. Equipment mounted on pedestals, posts, or bollards for on-street charging can't impede pedestrian travel or create trip hazards in the right-of-way, and outlets and connectors must sit no less than thirty-six inches and no higher than forty-eight inches above the mounting surface, with a retraction device or cord hook, protected by wheel stops or concrete-filled bollards.

Every station must post voltage and amperage levels, hours of operation if time limits or towing apply, usage fees, safety information, and a contact number for reporting malfunctions. Stations in parking lots or garages can count toward the minimum required parking spaces, and unlike most accessory structures, EV charging stations are allowed in any yard, including the front yard.