Durham, NC Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)
Key Facts
- Bonus district
- Downtown Design District (DD), Core & Support 1
- Height bonus
- 30 additional feet
- Minimum EV spaces
- at least 3 charging spaces
- Minimum public parking
- 50 spaces or 20% of required parking
- Parking type required
- structured parking, City-controlled 24/7
- Governing section
- UDO § 16.3.3(C)(1)
- Violation penalty
- $500 civil penalty per violation
Summary
Durham's Unified Development Ordinance doesn't require electric vehicle charging citywide, but downtown Design District developments can earn 30 extra feet of building height by dedicating public parking with charging built in. Under UDO § 16.3.3(C)(1)'s Public Parking bonus, at least three of the required public spaces, a minimum of 50 spaces or 20% of the project's required parking, whichever is greater, must be electric vehicle charging spaces.
Provide parking within the development dedicated for public use. The public parking provided shall not count towards maximum parking allowed for the project. The public parking shall be in structured parking. The amount of parking shall be at least 50 spaces, or an amount equal to at least 20% of the minimum amount of parking required for the development, whichever is greater. At least three of the public parking spaces shall be electric vehicle charging spaces. Public parking spaces shall be accessible 24 hours/day and under control of the City through an operational agreement with the City. The City can, at its discretion, limit the hours of accessibility.
Full Breakdown
3, Sub-District Requirements for the DD (Downtown Design) District, lists 'Public Parking' as one of the optional provisions a Core or Support 1 sub-district project can build into its design to unlock 30 additional feet of height (Support 2 gets no bonus under this provision, the table shows ', '). ' The public spaces must stay 'accessible 24 hours/day and under control of the City through an operational agreement with the City,' though the City can limit hours at its discretion. As with the ordinance's other height-bonus provisions, credit cannot be claimed for parking 'required elsewhere in this Ordinance or in the City Code,' the additional height applies to overall building height rather than podium height, and it remains subject to upper-story step-back rules.
Because the DD District is a downtown Durham zoning designation administered by City-County Planning, this EV-charging requirement is triggered only by a developer's choice to pursue the height bonus, it is not a general parking-lot or new-construction EV mandate reaching every project citywide or in unincorporated Durham County.
Violations & Fines
This is an opt-in bonus, so there's no penalty for building without EV charging. But a project that claims the extra 30 feet by advertising public parking with charging, then fails to deliver or maintain the required three EV spaces and 24-hour public access under the operational agreement, is out of compliance with its approved site plan: a UDO violation. The Planning Director or designee can cite the project and impose a $500 civil penalty per violation under Sec. 15.4, Penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Durham require electric vehicle charging spaces in new developments?
How much public parking triggers the EV charging requirement?
Who controls the public EV parking spaces once they're built?
What happens if a developer doesn't follow through on the EV spaces?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Durham
Compare Durham to another location·View the North Carolina parking rules overview
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