Seattle, WA Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SMC 23.54.034
- Multifamily surface lot ≤25 spaces
- first 12 spaces EV-ready
- Multifamily surface lot >25 spaces
- 45% of spaces EV-ready
- Parking garage, multiple units
- minimum 45% EV-ready
- Nonresidential parking
- 30% EV-ready (10% for listed uses)
- Accessible parking
- 20% or 2 spaces, whichever greater
- Wiring standard
- Seattle Electrical Code, 40-amp baseline
Summary
Seattle Municipal Code § 23.54.034 requires new parking built with new multifamily construction to be EV-ready. Surface lots serving multiple dwelling units must make the first 12 of up to 25 spaces EV-ready, then 45 percent once a lot exceeds 25 spaces; parking garages serving multiple units must also hit 45 percent, and private garages for individual units need at least one EV-ready space per unit.
New parking spaces provided on a lot when a new building is constructed shall be EV-ready as specified in this Section 23.54.034... 2.Surface parking for multiple dwelling units. When parking for multiple dwelling units is provided in a surface parking area serving multiple dwelling units, the number of parking spaces that shall be EV-ready shall be as follows:a.When up to 25 parking spaces are provided, the first 12 parking spaces shall be EV-ready; andb.When more than 25 parking spaces are provided, 45 percent of all parking spaces shall be EV-ready.3.Parking garages for multiple dwelling units...a minimum of 45 percent of those parking spaces shall be EV-ready.B.Nonresidential uses1.When parking is provided for nonresidential uses, a minimum of 30 percent of those spaces shall be EV-ready, except as provided in subsection 23.54.034.B.2 and subsection 23.54.034.B.3.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
The requirement kicks in whenever new parking is built with a new principal structure. 1). 3). 3, schools, libraries, museums, religious facilities, child care centers, eating and drinking establishments, and several sales/service categories. Fractional space counts always round up (C). The Director may, after consulting the Director of Seattle City Light, reduce the requirement under subsection D if the added electrical load would force a utility-side transformer upgrade or a residential service upgrade, first by dropping circuits from 40-amp to 20-amp, then by reducing the number of required spaces.
All EV-ready wiring must follow the Seattle Electrical Code (E), and where a space sits more than 4 feet from the building, raceways must run to a protected pull box or stub (E). Accessible parking isn't exempt: subsection F requires at least 20 percent of new accessible spaces, or two spaces if greater, to also be EV-ready, and those spaces count toward the building's overall EV-ready total under A and B. The section does not itself require EV charging equipment to be installed (H) or change the minimum or maximum vehicle parking counts set elsewhere in Title 23 (G).
Violations & Fines
The EV-ready specifications must appear on the permit application plans SDCI reviews before approval; noncompliant plans are not approved for construction. Once a building is occupied, failing to provide the required EV-ready wiring is a Title 23 land use violation: the Director may issue a notice of violation, and civil penalties under SMC 23.90.018.A run up to $150 per day for the first ten days of noncompliance and up to $500 per day after that until compliance is achieved, enforced through Seattle Municipal Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many EV-ready spaces does a new apartment building need?
What counts as "EV-ready" wiring?
Are accessible parking spaces exempt from the EV-ready rule?
Does this rule apply to office and retail buildings too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seattle
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