How does El Monte's EV charger permit ordinance work?

If you’re adding a charger at home, or buying an El Monte property with plans to add one, Ordinance No. 3068 adds Chapter 15.37 to the El Monte Municipal Code to create an expedited, checklist-based permit process. It was introduced August 26, 2026 and scheduled for adoption on September 9, 2026; if adopted as scheduled, it takes effect 30 days after adoption.

That process still calls for electrical checks, a complete application and the City’s approval before you turn the charger on.

What is the ordinance’s current status?

The final adoption vote is not confirmed in the posted meeting records.

As of October 27, 2026, the minutes of the September 9 meeting, which would record the final vote, had not been posted; the City Council’s September 23, October 14 and October 28 regular meetings were cancelled.

The City of El Monte City Council’s August 26 minutes record motions on the item carrying 7-0. The recommendation was to introduce the ordinance for a first reading and schedule a second reading. The September 9 agenda then listed the second reading as Consent Calendar item 12.2, with a recommendation to adopt it.

You can check the El Monte Agenda Center for minutes and read the ordinance on pages 78 to 83 of the September 9 agenda packet. The City’s October 26 notice cancelled the October 28 meeting.

For the adopted ordinance and minutes, contact the El Monte City Clerk’s Office at 11333 Valley Boulevard, 626-580-2016.

Which charging installations does it cover?

The ordinance covers all charging station installations, including public and private stations.

Section 15.37.030 includes light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicle charging stations. It also covers stations installed as either an accessory use or the primary use of a site. A home charger falls within that broad coverage.

Existing chargers have a specific exception. A charger legally established or permitted before the chapter’s effective date isn’t subject to the chapter unless physical modifications or alterations materially change its size, type or components so as to require new permitting.

What do you need to check before applying?

You must verify that the installation will not have specific, adverse impacts on public health and safety or building occupants.

Section 15.37.060(B) identifies the areas to check:

• Electrical system capacity and loads.
• Wiring, bonding and overcurrent protection.
• Building infrastructure affected by the installation.
• Areas occupied by station equipment.
• Vehicle parking.

For your project, ask the Building Official how to document those checks and which materials belong with the application. The ordinance’s text identifies what the applicant must verify, but the available sources don’t provide the City’s checklist contents.

What electrical rules does the ordinance name?

The ordinance requires compliance with the California Electrical Code, including Article 625, and treats charging equipment as a continuous load.

Section 15.37.040 says chargers must be included in load calculations for new or existing electrical services. That connects the charger application to the capacity and loads you must verify before applying.

Equipment must also meet the listed standards, including SAE, NEMA and accredited testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories. For floor- or wall-mounted units, anchorage must meet the California Building Code or Residential Code and the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you’re unsure how those provisions apply to the equipment you plan to install, ask the Building Official what the application needs to show for load calculations, equipment compliance and anchorage.

How do the checklist and review deadlines work?

The ordinance directs the Building Official to provide a checklist-based administrative review process, with electronic applications and electronic signatures accepted.

Section 15.37.050 says the City’s adopted checklist must be published on its website. Review is limited to determining whether a complete application meets health and safety requirements. Under Section 15.37.060(A), an application meeting the checklist and those standards is deemed complete and promptly processed administratively as a nondiscretionary permit.

Ask the Building Official for the published checklist and electronic submission instructions. No published checklist link is confirmed in the available sources.

For an incomplete application involving 25 or fewer stations, the ordinance calls for a written correction notice within 5 business days. It can arrive as a printed document, email or red line corrections on the plans. For more than 25 stations, the notice period is 10 business days.

The deemed-approved rule has a different starting point: when the application is deemed complete. For 25 or fewer stations, 20 business days must pass, and all these conditions must hold:

• The Building Official hasn’t approved or denied it.
• The Building Official hasn’t made a finding of a specific adverse impact or required a conditional use permit.
• No appeal has been made to the Planning Commission.

For 26 or more stations, that period is 40 business days. Submission alone doesn’t start this clock.

Can parking or HOA approval change the permit decision?

The ordinance addresses parking directly and says the City’s permit can’t be made to depend on HOA approval.

Under Section 15.37.060(H), if a charger affects required parking spaces for existing uses, the City must reduce the required number by the amount necessary to accommodate it. Your preapplication check still includes vehicle parking.

The HOA provision concerns the City’s permit decision. It doesn’t say that HOA rules themselves disappear. If the property has an HOA, the HOA disclosure guide is a related place to start reviewing the documents.

A conditional use permit has a narrow trigger. The Building Official may require one only after finding, based on substantial evidence, a specific adverse impact on public health or safety with no feasible way to mitigate it. That decision may be appealed to the Planning Commission.

What should a buyer check, and when can the charger be used?

A buyer should ask whether an existing charger was permitted, and permit approval alone doesn’t authorize anyone to use it.

Ask about the existing charger before treating it as a finished part of the property. The unpermitted work disclosure guide provides related reading. If you’re selling a home with a charger installed, the seller disclosure guide covers disclosures in general.

The electrician’s estimate for H.’s EV charger included the equipment and installation, but the permit line was still blank. H. had heard that El Monte had an ordinance for EV charger permits and assumed that meant no permit was required. What it actually prompted him to investigate was how the city handles the application and what documents the contractor must submit. He held off on choosing an installation date until the permit sequence was clear. The ordinance could simplify the process without making the process disappear.

Section 15.37.060(G) keeps those approvals separate. A permit approval isn’t permission to turn the charger on.

The short version

The ordinance, if adopted as scheduled, creates an expedited permit process while keeping electrical requirements and final City approval in place.

Check the adoption record with the City Clerk’s Office. Before applying, verify the installation conditions and get the City’s checklist. The 20 business day deemed-approved rule for 25 or fewer stations begins with a complete application and depends on the stated conditions.

This guide is educational, not legal advice.

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