Lake Elsinore, CA Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

Enacted by Ordinance 1380 in 2017, Chapter 15.76 governs permits for electric vehicle charging stations, defined in section 15.76.020 as supply equipment built to Article 625 of the California Electrical Code that delivers power from an outside source into a plug-in electric vehicle. Section 15.76.030 directs the Building Official to implement an expedited, streamlined process consistent with Government Code section 65850.7 and to adopt a compliance checklist, which may draw on the Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Permitting Checklist from the Governor's Office of Planning and Research's Zero-Emission Vehicles guidebook; the adopted checklist is posted on the City's website.

Under section 15.76.040, before submitting, the applicant must verify the installation will not create a specific, adverse impact on public health, safety or building occupants, covering electrical system capacity and loads, wiring, bonding and overcurrent protection, affected building infrastructure, and the equipment and parking area itself. An application meeting the checklist is deemed complete and promptly processed; once the Building Official confirms it meets the checklist and all applicable laws, the Official must approve it and issue every necessary permit, though the applicant cannot energize or use the station until City approval is granted.

Incomplete applications get a written correction notice detailing every deficiency. The Building Official must also accept electronic submittal of applications and supporting documents, including electronic signatures in place of a wet signature. Section 15.76.050 lets the City require a use permit instead only when the Building Official finds substantial evidence of a specific adverse impact, and bars conditioning approval on any homeowners association's sign-off. Installation itself must meet Article 625 of the California Electrical Code and related NEMA, SAE and UL standards under section 15.76.060.