Washington HOA EV Charging Station Rights

513, part of the Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act, bars any association restriction, covenant, bylaw, rule, or governing-document provision that effectively prohibits or unreasonably restricts installing or using an EV charging station for a unit owner's personal, noncommercial use within the unit's boundaries or a designated parking space. 32 RCW, so it covers pre-WUCIOA HOAs and condos as well. Associations of single-family homes, site condominiums, or planned developments where units are not immediately adjacent may not require approval at all unless the station is installed on a common element or connected to a common electrical power supply.

Where approval is required, the association must treat the request like an architectural-modification application; if it is not denied in writing within 60 days of receipt, it is deemed approved unless the delay stems from a reasonable request for more information. Associations may not charge any fee for placing a station, only a processing fee that applies equally to all architectural-modification applications. An approved owner must follow reasonable architectural standards, use a qualified electrical contractor, carry insurance naming the association as additional insured within 14 days of approval (waived for exempt single-family, site-condo, and non-adjacent PUD owners), register the station with the association within 30 days of installation, and pay for the electricity consumed.

The owner and successive owners bear all installation, inspection, maintenance, repair, replacement, damage, electricity, insurance, and removal or restoration costs, and must disclose the station and its obligations to prospective buyers. Associations may instead install community charging stations and set their own usage terms under subsection (9). A 'reasonable restriction' is defined as one that does not significantly increase the station's cost or significantly decrease its efficiency or performance. The current version is 2026 c 96 s 2, following amendments in 2025 c 119 s 21 and 2022 c 27 s 4, and applies to events occurring on or after July 1, 2018.

An association that willfully violates RCW 64.90.513, for example by denying an application without written justification, charging a placement fee, or letting the 60-day clock run without a written decision, is liable to the unit owner for actual damages plus a civil penalty of up to $1,000. A unit owner who prevails in enforcing the statute recovers reasonable attorneys' fees and costs from the association, which pushes boards to process EV charger applications in writing and on time rather than stall them.