Vancouver, WA Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

Two Title 20 provisions govern EV charging and parking. VMC 20.945.070(H)(4), in the Minimum Off-Street Parking Requirements section, says parking stalls used for electric vehicle basic charging stations and rapid charging stations shall be counted toward the minimum number of required parking stalls in a development. A developer who installs chargers therefore does not have to add stalls on top of the required minimum. Table 20.945.070-2 also lists the Electric Vehicle Recharging Station use with a minimum parking requirement of None.

The mandate applies only to large warehouses. VMC 20.895.120 covers warehouse and freight movement buildings larger than 250,000 square feet of gross floor area on the ground floor, and its climate action measures include electric vehicle charging: EV charging stations shall be provided at a minimum of 20 percent of parking spaces on site (subsection D.7). The same subsection D.5 requires all loading docks to be outfitted with electric wiring and conduit extending to electric panels to enable future installation of outlets for charging of electric-powered trucks. Subsection D.1 adds structural and electrical readiness for rooftop solar panels.

The use classification in VMC 20.160.020 separates the equipment. An EV Basic Charging Station is a slow to medium level station typically accessory to another use, where Level 1 (120-volt AC) is slow charging and Level 2 (208- or 240-volt AC) is medium charging. An EV Rapid Charging Station is an industrial-grade outlet that meets standards under Chapter 19.28 RCW and rules adopted under RCW 19.27.540, also known as Level 3 (480-volt AC). An EV Battery Exchange Station lets a vehicle with a swappable battery swap a depleted battery for a charged one.

Use tables such as the one in VMC 20.630.070 for the City Center West Employment Overlay list EV Basic Charging Stations and EV Rapid Charging Stations, accessory and stand-alone, as P, meaning permitted.