Portland, ME Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

On February 8, 2023, the Portland City Council adopted the Electric Vehicle (EV) Ready Code Project, amending Chapter 14 (Land Use Code) of the Portland Code of Ordinances. The amendment took effect March 31, 2023. New developments with 5 or more dwelling units and on-site parking must install electric-vehicle-ready infrastructure (conduit and panel capacity sized for future Level 2 EV charger installation) to: (a) 100% of parking spaces when six or fewer spaces are provided; or (b) at minimum 50% of available on-site spaces (with a minimum of six EV-ready spots) for larger projects. These requirements exceed the state EV-ready baselines in the Maine Uniform Building and Energy Code (MUBEC) adopted under Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 25 Sec. 2451. Separately, in spring 2023 the City Council approved a Public Right-of-Way EV Charging program allowing licensed operators to install curbside Level 2 chargers in the public right-of-way (permitted via Portland Public Works). The city directly operates public chargers at municipal lots including the Spring Street Garage, Elm Street Garage, Ocean Gateway, and Riverside Recycling. EV charging-only parking spaces are signed and metered; non-EV vehicles parked in posted EV-only spaces are subject to a Chapter 28 parking citation.