Lake County, IL Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)
Key Facts
- Scope
- New construction, unincorporated county only
- Trigger threshold
- 26+ parking spaces
- Large-site rule
- 2% EVSE, 5% EV-Ready, 10% EV-Capable
- Small-site rule (1-25 spaces)
- 1 charging station, 2 EV-Ready spaces
- Penalty
- Up to $500 per offense, weekly
Summary
New commercial and multifamily construction in unincorporated Lake County must install EV charging stations and wire EV-ready and EV-capable parking spaces under the county's amended building code.
3115.1 Electric vehicle parking. Where parking is provided, new construction shall provide EVSE-installed spaces and facilitate future installation and use of EVSE through the provision of EV-Ready Spaces and EV-Capable Spaces provided in compliance with Sections 3115.1.1 through 3115.1.3, Where more than one parking facility is provided on a site, EVSE-installed, EV-Ready Spaces and EV-Capable Spaces shall be calculated separately for each parking facility.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-15: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 26-0618, passed 6-9-2026 | State legislation current through ILCS Pamphlet 2025 #5).
Full Breakdown
Lake County's 2024 building code amendments add IBC Section 3115 to require new commercial and multifamily buildings in unincorporated Lake County to provide electric vehicle charging infrastructure whenever parking is provided. Buildings with 26 or more parking spaces must equip at least 2% of spaces with an installed EV charging station, wire 5% more as EV-Ready spaces, and rough in 10% as EV-Capable spaces; smaller lots need at least one dual-port charging station plus two EV-Ready spaces. The Planning, Building & Development Department enforces this under § 150.16, and it applies only in unincorporated areas, not in Waukegan, Highland Park, Gurnee or the county's many incorporated cities and villages, which have their own codes.
Violations & Fines
Violating the EV charging installation requirement is a building code violation punishable by a fine up to $500 per offense, with each week of continued noncompliance a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply inside Waukegan or Highland Park?
Does an existing building have to retrofit for EV charging?
What must a 30-space new multifamily lot provide?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lake County
Compare Lake County to another location·View the Illinois parking rules overview
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