North Charleston, SC Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

Article IV's Section 4-7 governs 'Structures and projections into required yards and setback areas' and lists the narrow set of features a builder may place inside a required front, side or rear yard: eaves and awnings up to three feet, permitted fences and walls, a railroad-adjacent setback reduction the zoning administrator may approve, accessibility ramps and handrails, and, since a later amendment, electric vehicle charging infrastructure under item (6). That exemption means a charging cabinet, electrical panel or cable run can sit inside the setback that would otherwise apply to a shed, generator pad or other accessory structure, without a variance from the board of zoning appeals.

Section 4-10 separately sets the city's off-street parking minimums by land use, from two spaces per single-family dwelling to one space per 300 square feet of office floor area, and subsection (d) fixes design standards: a standard space is 9 feet by 19 feet, a compact space 8 by 15 feet (capped at 25 percent of the total), and handicapped spaces follow building code and federal rules. Item 5 of that subsection then credits any parking space served by an EV charging station toward the site's required minimum, so a developer is not forced to build extra stalls on top of the code's base parking count just because some of those spaces also charge vehicles. Both sections sit in the zoning ordinance enforced by the zoning administrator and, on appeal, the board of zoning appeals.