Ontario, CA Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

Municipal Code Chapter 9 governs the permitting of electric vehicle charging stations installed in Ontario. 01 exempts stations legally established before the chapter's effective date from its requirements unless physical modifications materially change the size, type, or components, and states that routine operation, maintenance, or like-kind replacement never triggers a new permit. 02 defines a covered "electric vehicle charging station" as any level of electric vehicle supply equipment designed and built in compliance with Article 625 of the California Electrical Code, that delivers electricity from an outside source into a plug-in electric vehicle, and that conforms to all applicable state fire, structural, electrical, and other building codes and City and state health and safety standards; stations must also meet Society of Automotive Engineers and National Electrical Manufacturers Association standards verified by testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories.

03 requires the Building Department to publish a checklist and required documentation on the City's website, accept applications by email or fax, and accept electronic signatures, modeled on the "Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Permitting Checklist" from the Governor's Office of Planning and Research's Zero-Emission Vehicles guidebook. 04 requires the Building Department to run a nondiscretionary, expedited review adopted within 30 days of the chapter's effective date, limited to confirming local, state, and federal health and safety compliance, with inspections required and consolidated where possible; this chapter, adopted by Ordinance 3061 effective December 1, 2016, is a building-permitting standard for the charging equipment itself rather than a parking-space allocation mandate.