Shoreline, WA Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

SMC § 20.50.410(L) governs signage at public electric vehicle charging stations rather than mandating that any particular development install charging equipment. Where a charging station is available for public use, the property must post signage limiting the space to vehicles that are actually 'charging,' a term the section defines as an electric vehicle parked at the station and physically connected to the charging equipment; a car simply parked in the space without plugging in does not satisfy the restriction the signage is meant to enforce.

The required signage must include information identifying the voltage and amperage levels available at the station along with any time-of-use restrictions, fees, or safety information a driver needs before plugging in, and, where appropriate, directional signs at decision points in the parking area or site access route to guide drivers to the charging space. Subsection (L)(3) exempts this EV signage from the sign permit that SMC § 20.50.532 otherwise requires for constructing, installing, or displaying a sign in Shoreline, so a property owner can post the required charging-station signage without first going through sign permit review.

The signage requirement sits inside the same Subchapter 6 parking standards, SMC §§ 20.50.380 through 20.50.440, that separately regulate loading spaces, lighting, and legally nonconforming parking.