Bowling Green has no city-specific EV ordinance. EV charging is governed by Kentucky state law, including the 2022-enacted excise tax and surtax on EV charging dealers (currently $0.032 per kilowatt-hour in 2025) administered by the Kentucky Department of Revenue. The city has more than 100 public charging connectors across roughly a dozen sites, and in May 2026 the state opened Kentucky's 10th NEVI fast-charging site at the Casey's at 4455 Russellville Road. Installations in Bowling Green follow the state Building Code and Bowling Green's adopted electrical code.
Bowling Green has not adopted a stand-alone EV charging ordinance; the city defers to state law and to the adopted Kentucky Building Code and electrical code for installation requirements. At the state level, Kentucky's 2022 EV statutes impose an excise tax of $0.03 per kilowatt-hour on electric vehicle power distributed by an EV charging dealer (currently $0.032 per kWh after the 2025 inflation adjustment), plus a surtax of $0.03 per kWh on dealers operating on state-owned property, both administered by the Kentucky Department of Revenue. The state-administered National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, run by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, has been rolling out fast-charging sites along federal corridors; in May 2026, Governor Beshear and the Cabinet announced the 10th Kentucky NEVI site, a Francis Energy installation at Casey's at 4455 Russellville Road in Bowling Green near I-165 Exit 5. According to public-charging directories (PlugShare, ChargeHub, Electrify America), Bowling Green has roughly 129 public charging connectors with around 11 free chargers spread across hotels, retailers, and the city's downtown area. New residential Level 2 (240V) installations in Bowling Green require an electrical permit through the city Building Inspection Division and may require a service upgrade through the local utility (Bowling Green Municipal Utilities for electric service in much of the city). Commercial installations are reviewed under the Kentucky Building Code and any applicable zoning standards in Chapter 27 of the Bowling Green Code of Ordinances. Parking a non-EV in a clearly signed EV charging space is enforceable under Chapter 22 of the Code of Ordinances and the property's posted signage, but Kentucky does not yet have a uniform statewide ICEing penalty.
Operating an EV charging dealer (commercial Level 2 or DC fast charger that sells power) in Kentucky without registering and remitting the $0.032/kWh excise tax to the Kentucky Department of Revenue is a state tax violation. Installing a Level 2 home charger without the required electrical permit through the Bowling Green Building Inspection Division is a code violation and may require after-the-fact permitting and inspection. Parking a non-EV in a clearly signed EV charging-only space at a posted private lot is enforceable through Chapter 22 (Traffic and Motor Vehicles) of the Code of Ordinances and the property's signage.
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