Santa Barbara operates 40+ public Level-2 EV chargers in City lots and garages and expedites EV-charger permits under SBMC Chapter 22.93. Enforcement of who may occupy an EV stall is governed by California Vehicle Code 22511, not a separate city parking-stall ordinance; the City does apply an idle fee at its own chargers.
The incorporated City of Santa Barbara supports electric-vehicle charging through both infrastructure and code. SBMC Chapter 22.93 (Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit Expediting), adopted pursuant to Government Code Section 65850.7, directs the Chief Building Official to run an expedited administrative permit-review process for EV charging stations and to publish a compliance checklist. The City has installed more than 40 public Level-2 ChargePoint stations across municipal facilities, including City Lot 6 (Granada Garage, 34 stations), City Lot 7 (Library Garage), the Helena Lot, City Lot 11 (Old Town Lot), and the Harbor Main Lot. Pricing at City chargers varies by time-of-use period (for example, off-peak $0.37/kWh and on-peak $0.79/kWh in the Summer 2025 schedule), and an idle fee of $5/hour ($0.08/minute) applies after a 30-minute grace period to free up stalls once charging is complete (with exemptions for Granada Garage permit holders). The enforceability of EV-only parking stalls themselves comes from state law: California Vehicle Code Section 22511 makes it an offense for a non-electric vehicle, or an EV not connected for charging, to occupy a designated and signed EV charging space, and CVC Section 22511.2 allows required parking spaces to be substituted with designated EV charging stations. The City has not adopted a separate municipal fine schedule for EV-stall misuse beyond these state provisions and its own idle-fee policy at City-owned chargers.
Occupying a signed EV charging stall with a non-EV, or with an EV not connected for charging, is enforced under California Vehicle Code 22511 (a parking violation where stalls are properly posted). At City-owned chargers, an idle fee of $5/hour ($0.08/minute) applies after a 30-minute grace period once a session ends.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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The Fence Guidelines set height and location but defer the exact material, color, width and style to design-review boards. Front-yard fences, walls and gates...
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No fence, screen, wall or hedge over 3.5 feet may stand in a driveway visibility triangle: 10 ft along the driveway and 10 ft back from the front lot line wh...
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Residential retaining walls not over 4 feet (footing to top) are permit-exempt unless they support a surcharge or impound flammable liquids. Where a fence si...
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The City of Santa Barbara addresses animal hoarding through its care-and-keeping and nuisance provisions plus California's anti-cruelty law. Keeping animals ...
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The City of Santa Barbara does not publish a dedicated wildlife-feeding ban in its general animal regulations, but feeding wild animals can create a public n...
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The City of Santa Barbara requires a license for each unaltered cat over four months old, obtained from the City. There is no leash requirement for cats. Red...
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