EV-charger permitting in Chico is governed by California state law: AB 1236 (Gov. Code §65850.7) requires the City to use an expedited, ministerial permit process limited to health-and-safety review, and Civil Code §4745 forbids landlords and HOAs from blocking tenant-funded EV charging stations. New construction is subject to the EV-ready and EV-capable parking-space mandates in Title 24, Part 11 (CALGreen) of the California Building Code. Chico does not impose a discretionary local ordinance that would override these state requirements.
AB 1236 (Chiu, 2015), codified at California Government Code Section 65850.7, requires every city and county in California to adopt an ordinance creating an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations. Review is administrative and limited to whether the application meets local, state, and federal health and safety requirements. AB 970 (McCarty, 2021) imposed shot-clock deadlines: 5 business days for single-family/multifamily applications up to 25 spaces, 20 business days for larger projects. Chico processes EVCS permits through Building Division ministerial review consistent with these state standards. For tenants, California Civil Code Section 4745 (and §4745.1 for commercial tenants) requires landlords and HOAs to permit installation of a tenant-funded EV charging station at the tenant's designated parking space, subject to standard insurance and licensed-contractor requirements. New construction parking ratios for EV chargers are set by Title 24, Part 11 (CALGreen): single-family homes require one Level 2 EV-ready 208/240V outlet; multifamily projects require a percentage of EV-capable and EV-ready spaces (commonly 40% capable + 10% installed Level 2 for new multifamily and hotels). Chico Municipal Code Chapter 19.70 governs off-street parking design but defers to CALGreen for EV-ready requirements.
Local denial of an EVCS permit on non-health/safety grounds is unenforceable under Gov. Code §65850.7; the California Attorney General has issued legal alerts to non-compliant cities. Landlord/HOA refusal of a Civil Code §4745 request creates private right of action plus civil penalty of $1,000.
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