Ridgewood, NJ Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)
Key Facts
- EVSE installation
- permitted accessory use, no variance
- New 5+ unit buildings
- 15% make-ready spaces required
- Small lots (up to 50 spaces)
- 1 make-ready space minimum
- Municipal charging fee cap
- $2/hour
- Misuse of EVSE space
- fine and/or impoundment
Summary
Village of Ridgewood Code § 190-121.1 lets anyone install EV charging equipment as a permitted accessory use in every zone without a variance, requires new multifamily projects to make 15% of parking spaces EV-ready, and caps municipal charging fees at $2 per hour of use.
An application for development submitted solely for the installation of EVSE or make-ready parking spaces shall be considered a permitted accessory use and permitted accessory structure in all zoning or use districts in the Village of Ridgewood and shall not require a variance pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:55D-70. ... Prepare as make-ready parking spaces at least 15% of the required off-street parking spaces, and install EVSE in at least 1/3 of the 15% of make-ready parking spaces; ... It shall be a violation of this section to park or stand a nonelectric vehicle in such a space, or to park an electric vehicle in such a space when it is not connected to the EVSE. ... Fees shall not exceed $2 per hour of charging usage.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4854397; v35 updated 2026-04-22; through 04-22-2026).
Full Breakdown
Adopted by Ordinance No. 1 governs electric vehicle supply/service equipment, or EVSE, and make-ready parking spaces across the Village. A. 40:55D-70. 1D(1)(a) requires the developer to prepare at least 15% of the required off-street parking as make-ready spaces and to install working EVSE in at least a third of that 15% up front, with the remaining two-thirds phased in over three and six years after the certificate of occupancy, and at least 5% of the installed EVSE made van-accessible. Smaller parking lots and garages face a sliding scale under D(2), from one make-ready space for 50 or fewer spaces up to 4% of the total for lots over 150 spaces, though a retailer with 25 or fewer spaces or a single-family homeowner is exempt entirely.
Publicly accessible EVSE spaces are enforced like any other parking space by the Police Department under F(3)(c): parking a non-electric vehicle in one, or an electric vehicle that isn't plugged in, is a violation. Usage fees for municipal EVSE, layered on top of ordinary parking fees, are capped at $2 per hour of charging under F(6)(b).
Violations & Fines
Under § 190-121.1F(3)(c), it is a violation to park or stand a non-electric vehicle in a designated EVSE space, or to park an electric vehicle there without connecting it to the charger; offending vehicles are subject to fine and/or impoundment under the Village's general penalty provisions at § 1-15. The Zoning Officer or Village Engineer enforces the installation requirements under § 190-134, and violations of the build-out schedule carry the same misdemeanor penalties as other Article X violations: up to a $1,000 fine, 90 days' imprisonment or community service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a zoning variance to install a home EV charger in Ridgewood?
How many EV charging spaces must a new apartment building provide?
What happens if I park a gas car in an EV charging spot?
How much can Ridgewood charge to use a municipal EV charger?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ridgewood
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