Cathedral City, CA Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

Chapter 8.64 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code, adopted by Ordinance 875 on January 10, 2024, sets an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations. A charging station is any level of electric vehicle supply equipment designed and built in compliance with Article 625 of the California Electrical Code that delivers electricity from outside a plug-in vehicle into it. The chapter applies to the permitting of all electric vehicle charging systems in the city. Stations legally established or permitted before the effective date are not subject to it unless physical changes materially alter the size, type or components in a way that requires new permitting, and routine operation and maintenance or like-kind replacements need no permit.

Section 8.64.040 sets the technical rules. Stations must meet the California Electrical Code, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, accredited laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories, and Public Utilities Commission rules. The installation is included in the load calculations of every new or existing electrical service, and the equipment counts as a continuous load. Floor-mounted and wall-mounted units are anchored under the California Building or Residential Code and the manufacturer's instructions, without adversely affecting building elements.

Under § 8.64.050 the chief building official reviews the application administratively as a nondiscretionary permit, limited to whether it meets local, state and federal health and safety requirements. The city cannot condition approval on the approval of an association. An application is complete when it satisfies the checklist, and an incomplete one gets a written plan check correction notice within ten business days. If the official finds a specific, adverse impact on health or safety, a conditional use permit can be required, which the planning commission can deny only on written findings.

Under § 8.64.060 an appeal is filed within ten calendar days with the planning department and the fee set by the City Council, and a filed appeal stays all proceedings until the City Council's final determination.