Tempe, AZ Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

Section 19-101, in Article VIII of Chapter 19 (Movement and Traffic) of the general code, governs every marked electric vehicle charging space on Tempe streets and City-owned lots. The rule has two parts. First, a driver may not stand or park in the space at any time except for the use of charging a vehicle, so pulling into an empty EV stall to run an errand, wait for a passenger, or simply park closer to a building entrance is itself a violation even if no other rule is broken.

Second, once a vehicle is legitimately charging, the stay is capped at six hours total, or a shorter time if the City has posted a lower limit on the space's sign; the driver must also keep the space clear of any obstruction to the free movement of traffic while plugged in. The section was adopted by Ordinance No. 22 on August 15, 2019, and its penalty was raised by Ordinance No. 49 on November 6, 2025, which set the current $350 minimum civil sanction, well above the flat $250 penalty attached to most other parking violations in the same article, such as parking an inoperable or unregistered vehicle under Section 19-100.

Tempe Police enforce the section by issuing a civil traffic citation to the registered owner; because the offense is civil rather than criminal, it is contested through the city's civil traffic hearing process rather than a criminal arraignment. The Traffic Engineer is responsible for posting the signage and pavement markings that identify a charging space and any shorter time restriction that applies there.