Chapel Hill, NC Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

Chapel Hill's EV charging framework is now anchored in the Land Use Management Ordinance (LUMO) as amended by the Town Council at its January 21, 2026 meeting. According to the Town's Engage Chapel Hill LUMO update page, the Council adopted a package of amendments that 'eliminate mandatory minimum parking requirements, streamline development review processes, support missing middle housing production, and make other miscellaneous improvements to the Town's land use rules.' Regarding EV charging specifically, the draft and adopted LUMO 'will require that some new parking facilities include electric vehicle chargers to make it easier to get around Chapel Hill without fossil fuels.' The amendment package also 'removes minimum parking standards, which will allow owners to pick the right amount of parking for themselves.' On the public side, Chapel Hill operates EV charging stations at multiple Town-owned sites including Town Hall, the Rosemary Garage at 125 E. Rosemary Street, the James Wallace Deck, and the 140 West Deck. UNC-Chapel Hill (separately from the Town) operates EV charging at campus parking facilities through Transportation & Parking. Residential Level 2 (240V) home installations require an electrical permit through the Town of Chapel Hill Inspections division and must be installed by a licensed electrician under the adopted state codes. At the state level, North Carolina has NOT adopted a comprehensive right-to-charge statute. According to Plug In America's right-to-charge tracker, only California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, and Oregon plus the District of Columbia extend comprehensive right-to-charge EV protections to HOA and condominium residents. HOAs and condominium associations in Chapel Hill may apply their governing documents and architectural-review process to EV charger requests, including denying or conditioning installations. House Bill 488 (Session Law 2023-108), enacted August 16, 2023, reorganized the Building Code Council, created the Residential Code Council, and froze the state's residential, energy, plumbing, and mechanical codes through 2031 with the first six-year revision effective January 1, 2031 - HB 488 does not impose new residential EV charging mandates. The Town's fare-free Chapel Hill Transit fleet (operated under contract with the Town of Carrboro and UNC since the 2002 transition to fare-free service) has been transitioning to battery-electric buses under a federal/state grant program.