Madera County, CA Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Madera County Code § 18.102.140
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 699, December 6, 2022
- State law tie-in
- Government Code § 65850.7
- Process
- Administrative permit, not discretionary hearing
- Applies to
- Qualifying EV charging stations only
Summary
Unincorporated Madera County runs electric vehicle charging stations that qualify under state law through an expedited, administrative permit process rather than the standard discretionary review. Madera County Code Section 18.102.140, adopted by Ordinance No. 699 in December 2022, ties that streamlined process to California Government Code Section 65850.7 and the county's own EV charging station permit expediting ordinance.
Electric vehicle charging stations which qualify for expedited permit processing, pursuant to Government Code Section 65850.7, shall be subject to the administrative permitting procedures set forth in the county's electric vehicle charging station permit expediting ordinance. (Ord. No. 699, § 1, 12-6-22)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
7. The legislative history attached to the section shows it was adopted by Ordinance No. 102, the county's parking regulations chapter, rather than in the building permit title. 7 is the state statute behind the local ordinance: it requires every California city and county to adopt a streamlined, checklist-based permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations, with counties under 200,000 residents, Madera County's bracket, required to have adopted their ordinance by September 30, 2017, and it directs the local agency to approve a complete, checklist-compliant application administratively rather than routing it through a discretionary hearing.
104 and, where the installation involves a new structure or electrical work, the state-adopted California Building Standards Code requirements carried into the county code by Title 14. 102, which continue to apply to the paved area and stalls around the charger.
Violations & Fines
An electric vehicle charging station installed without going through either the expedited checklist process or the standard zoning and building permit process is enforced the same as any other unpermitted structure under Chapter 18.112: a misdemeanor, with each day of the unpermitted condition treated as a separate offense, and a declared public nuisance the zoning administrator can order abated at the property owner's expense after notice and, if contested, a hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a discretionary permit to install an EV charging station in unincorporated Madera County?
When did Madera County adopt this expedited process?
Does the expedited process cover the parking stall and lighting around the charger too?
What if my charging station application doesn't qualify for the expedited checklist?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera County
California rules heatmap·Compare Madera County to another location·View the California parking rules overview
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