Portland, ME Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

Section 28-53 lists the specific places where stopping, standing, or parking a vehicle is unlawful, and subsection (o), added by Ordinance No. " That closes both loopholes at once, a gas vehicle can't occupy the spot, and an EV can't just sit there unplugged and block a charging vehicle. Section 28-1 defines the term the rest of the chapter relies on: an "Electric Vehicle or EV" is "a vehicle that can be powered by an electric motor that draws electricity from a battery and is capable of being charged from an external source," covering both all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.

The city's posted parking fine schedule under Section 28-51 lists "Non-EV parking at EV charging station or EV at charging station not plugged in" as its own citable line item, enforced by the Parking Division's parking control officers the same way as any other posted no-parking violation. Because the rule sits in Section 28-53's general prohibited-locations list rather than a standalone chapter, it is enforced the same way other location-based parking violations are, by signage marking the designated charging station, with citations issued on sight or on complaint.