Spokane County, WA Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning status
- Permitted (P) in every zone matrix reviewed
- Permit needed
- No conditional use permit or hearing
- Equipment standard
- Must meet chapter 19.28 RCW
- Definition section
- SCC 14.300.100
- Still required
- Title 3 building/electrical permit
- Zoning violation penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine, 90 days jail
Summary
Spokane County's zoning code defines EV charging equipment as "electric vehicle infrastructure" and lists it as an outright permitted (P) use in every zoning matrix checked, including Mixed-Use, Commercial, Industrial and Rural zones. No conditional use permit, hearing, or special siting standard applies beyond state electrical rules.
Electric vehicle infrastructure: Structures, machinery, and equipment necessary and integral to support an electric vehicle, including battery charging stations, rapid charging stations, and battery exchange stations described as follows: "Battery charging station" means an electrical component assembly or cluster of component assemblies designed specifically to charge batteries within electric vehicles, which meet or exceed any standards, codes, and regulations set forth by chapter 19.28 RCW and consistent with rules adopted under RCW 19.27.540.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
540 for electrical safety and charging equipment. That definition is cross-referenced into every zone-use matrix in Title 14: Table 608-1 (Mixed-Use Zone) lists "Electric vehicle infrastructure" with a "P," Table 612-1 (Commercial Zones) shows it permitted in Neighborhood Commercial, Community Commercial, Regional Commercial and LDA Commercial, Table 614-1 (Industrial Zones) permits it in both Light Industrial and Heavy Industrial, and Table 618-1 (Rural Zones) permits it in Rural Traditional, Rural-5, Rural Activity Center, Rural Conservation and Urban Reserve. Under the use-classification key in each chapter, a "P" designation means the use is allowed outright once it complies with the zone's ordinary development standards; it does not require a conditional use permit, public hearing, or a director's use determination.
A property owner still needs the standard electrical and building permits under Title 3 to install the charger, but the zoning code itself imposes no separate setback, screening, or lot-coverage rule keyed to EV equipment.
Violations & Fines
Because EV charging equipment is a permitted use, no zoning violation arises from installing a station in a qualifying zone. If a station is installed without the required Title 3 electrical/building permit, or without meeting chapter 19.28 RCW equipment standards, it can be cited as a zoning code violation under SCC 14.408.040: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail, or, at the enforcement authority's election, a civil violation carrying a $200 Level I or $500 Level II penalty plus $50 per day the violation continues (SCC 14.408.140).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a conditional use permit to install an EV charger in unincorporated Spokane County?
Which zones in Spokane County allow EV charging stations?
What happens if a charging station is installed without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane County
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