The 2025 CALGreen code roughly doubled the number of chargers new commercial parking lots must install, and big warehouses must reserve power for future electric trucks. Here is how the rules work in Kern County.
California EV charging requirements for commercial buildings come mainly from CALGreen, the state’s green building code. Since Jan. 1, 2026, new nonresidential parking with 10 or more spaces must include EV capable spaces and installed chargers, and warehouses with loading docks must reserve power for future electric trucks. Tenants also have a legal right to install chargers.
California commercial EV charging rules at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Main rule | California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen), Title 24, Part 11, Section 5.106.5 (nonresidential mandatory measures) |
| Adopted by | California Building Standards Commission |
| Code cycles | 2022 CALGreen (effective Jan. 1, 2023; supplement effective July 1, 2024); 2025 CALGreen (effective Jan. 1, 2026) |
| Light-duty trigger | New nonresidential parking with 10 or more actual spaces; at 201 or more spaces, 20% must be EV capable |
| Installed chargers (2025) | 50% of EV capable spaces at 201 or more spaces (75% for office and retail), up from 25% under 2022 |
| Truck readiness | Warehouses of 20,000 SF or more with planned off-street loading spaces: 200 or 400 kVA of added capacity plus spare raceway |
| Existing buildings | Parking additions or alterations that increase panel power or add solar over parking must comply for the spaces affected |
| Tenant rights | Civil Code 1952.7 voids lease terms that prohibit or unreasonably restrict tenant EV chargers (properties with 50 or more spaces) |
| Permitting | Government Code 65850.7 (AB 1236, 2015) and 65850.71 (AB 970, 2021) require streamlined, time-limited local permits |
| Enforced by | Local building departments (City of Bakersfield, Kern County and the other incorporated cities) |
Key takeaways
- Under 2025 CALGreen Table 5.106.5.3.1, a new nonresidential lot with 201 or more spaces must make 20% of spaces EV capable and install chargers at 50% of those (75% for office and retail). The 2022 code required 25%.
- CALGreen Table 5.106.5.5.1 requires a new warehouse of 20,000 to 256,000 SF with one or two loading spaces to add 200 kVA of capacity for future medium- and heavy-duty EV charging. Three or more loading spaces, or a building above 256,000 SF, means 400 kVA.
- Since the July 1, 2024 CALGreen supplement, existing parking facilities must add EV charging for the spaces being added or altered when work increases power to a service panel or adds solar over parking.
- Civil Code 1952.7 voids any commercial lease term executed, renewed or extended on or after Jan. 1, 2015 that prohibits or unreasonably restricts a tenant’s EV charger, at properties with 50 or more parking spaces.
- The Kern Council of Governments counted 3,684 EV charging ports in Kern County as of 2025, 2,913 Level 2 and 771 DC fast, in its February 2026 blueprint update.
What are the California EV charging requirements for commercial buildings?
Two layers of state code apply. CALGreen, Part 11 of Title 24, sets mandatory EV infrastructure for new nonresidential construction and certain parking alterations. Chapter 11B of the California Building Code then governs how many installed chargers must be accessible to people with disabilities.
The current edition is 2025 CALGreen. According to a CALBO Training Institute presentation, it was published July 1, 2025 and took effect Jan. 1, 2026. Projects that applied for permits earlier were reviewed under 2022 CALGreen, which took effect Jan. 1, 2023 and was amended by a supplement effective July 1, 2024, as the Building Standards Commission’s 2022 CALGreen guide shows.
Three terms do most of the work:
- EV capable space. A space with at least 1 inch of raceway from the panel, plus reserved panel and transformer capacity for a 208/240-volt, 40-amp branch circuit.
- EVCS (EV charging station). An EV capable space with charging equipment actually installed.
- Medium- and heavy-duty readiness. Spare conduit and electrical capacity for future truck or van charging at loading areas.
How many EV chargers does CALGreen require?
The count depends on total actual parking spaces. Section 5.106.5.3 sizes the requirement by lot size. The 2025 edition, as summarized in the City of Santa Monica’s technical guide to 2025 CALGreen, keeps the 2022 EV capable counts but sharply raises the number that must have chargers installed. It also adds a separate, higher column for office and retail, a change flagged by the Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN). The tables below follow those summaries, and the plans examiner applies the adopted code text to each project.
CALGreen Table 5.106.5.3.1: EV capable spaces and installed chargers (EVCS), 2022 vs. 2025
| Total actual parking spaces | EV capable spaces (both cycles) | EVCS, 2022 code | EVCS, 2025 code (most occupancies) | EVCS, 2025 code (office and retail) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 to 25 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 26 to 50 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 51 to 75 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 8 |
| 76 to 100 | 17 | 4 | 8 | 13 |
| 101 to 150 | 25 | 6 | 12 | 19 |
| 151 to 200 | 35 | 9 | 18 | 26 |
| 201 and over | 20% of spaces | 25% of EV capable | 50% of EV capable | 75% of EV capable |
Calculations round up, and installed chargers count toward the EV capable total rather than being added on top. Under 2025 CALGreen at least one Level 2 charger must be installed. Each DC fast charger can reduce the required EV capable spaces by five, and two low-power Level 2 receptacles can substitute for one EV capable space. A power allocation method (Section 5.106.5.3.6) is an alternative path that sizes the requirement in kVA.
The code also requires that the electrical system “and any on-site distribution transformers shall have sufficient capacity to supply full rated amperage at each EV capable space.” Exceptions exist where there is no local utility power, where the utility cannot supply adequate power, or where the enforcing agency accepts evidence that utility requirements would adversely affect construction cost.
What do warehouses with loading docks have to provide?
They must build in spare electrical capacity for future truck chargers, not the chargers themselves. Section 5.106.5.5 covers warehouses, grocery stores, retail stores, office buildings and manufacturing facilities “with planned off-street loading spaces.” At construction they must install spare raceway or busway and capacity for transformers and panels, sized to Table 5.106.5.5.1. The City of Ontario’s checklist for 2022 CALGreen with the July 2024 supplement shows the same warehouse thresholds that carry into 2025.
CALGreen Table 5.106.5.5.1: medium- and heavy-duty EV readiness (selected rows)
| Building type | Building size | Planned off-street loading spaces | Additional capacity required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse | 20,000 to 256,000 SF | 1 or 2 | 200 kVA |
| Warehouse | 20,000 to 256,000 SF | 3 or more | 400 kVA |
| Warehouse | Over 256,000 SF | 1 or more | 400 kVA |
| Grocery | 10,000 to 90,000 SF | 1 or 2 / 3 or more | 200 / 400 kVA |
| Manufacturing | 10,000 to 50,000 SF | 1 or 2 / 3 or more | 200 / 400 kVA |
| Retail or office | 10,000 to 135,000 SF | 1 or 2 / 3 or more | 200 / 400 kVA |
Larger grocery (over 90,000 SF), manufacturing (over 50,000 SF) and retail or office buildings (over 135,000 SF) with at least one loading space need 400 kVA. The rule gives builders the conduit path and electrical headroom so chargers can be added later without tearing up the site.
This readiness rule is separate from whether any fleet must buy zero-emission trucks. Those purchase mandates have changed since 2023, and our article on California’s zero-emission truck rules covers where they stand in 2026.
Do existing commercial buildings have to add EV chargers?
Not simply because they exist. Since the July 1, 2024 supplement, Section 5.106.5.4 reaches existing parking in three cases. The scope of work may increase the power supply to an electric service panel. A new photovoltaic system may cover existing parking spaces. Or an addition or alteration under Section 301.3 may increase the power supply.
When triggered, the project applies Table 5.106.5.3.1 (or the power allocation method) “for the total number of actual parking spaces being added or altered,” not the whole lot. If the site already has EV capable spaces, chargers must first be installed at those spaces before new EV capable spaces are added. Owners planning a service upgrade or a solar carport should price this in. Our guide to Title 24 solar requirements covers the solar side.
Can a commercial tenant install its own EV charger?
Usually, yes. Civil Code 1952.7 voids any commercial lease term, executed, renewed or extended on or after Jan. 1, 2015, that “either prohibits or unreasonably restricts the installation or use of an electric vehicle charging station in a parking space associated with the commercial property.” Reasonable restrictions are allowed if they do not significantly raise cost or significantly lower the charger’s performance.
The landlord may require approval, but the application “shall not be willfully avoided or delayed,” and the answer must be in writing. The tenant must use a licensed contractor, carry $1 million of liability coverage naming the landlord as additional insured and pay for maintenance, repair and electricity. The statute does not apply where the property has fewer than 50 parking spaces or where tenant charging already exists at two or more spaces per 100.
The statute is silent on removal at lease end, power allocation and metering, so the lease typically has to address who owns the equipment, whether it must be removed, how much of the building’s electrical capacity the tenant may use and whether the charger needs its own meter.
How do EV charger permits work in Bakersfield and Kern County?
State law limits how slowly a city or county can process charger permits. Government Code 65850.7, added by AB 1236 (2015), required every city and county to adopt an ordinance creating “an expedited, streamlined permitting process” with an online checklist. The deadline was Sept. 30, 2016 for jurisdictions of 200,000 or more residents and Sept. 30, 2017 for smaller ones. A use permit can be denied only on written findings of a “specific, adverse impact upon the public health or safety” that cannot feasibly be mitigated.
Government Code 65850.71, added by AB 970 (Stats. 2021, ch. 710), set clocks. An application is deemed complete 5 business days after submission for 1 to 25 chargers at a site (10 business days for more). It is deemed approved 20 business days after completeness (40 for larger projects). The clocks applied to jurisdictions under 200,000 residents beginning Jan. 1, 2023. The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) tracks local compliance by jurisdiction on its permit streamlining map.
Locally, the Kern Council of Governments’ EV charging blueprint update (February 2026) counted 3,684 charging ports in Kern County as of 2025, 79% Level 2 (2,913) and 21% DC fast (771). It set a 2035 target of 12,745 charging spaces. The blueprint notes that the Coalition for Clean Air sued in November 2025 over roughly 110 California jurisdictions it says have not adopted streamlined procedures. It does not name any Kern jurisdiction. Kern is served by both PG&E and Southern California Edison, so utility programs depend on the site.
What do the EV rules mean for Kern owners, developers and tenants?
For developers, the 2025 table turns EV charging from a conduit line item into installed equipment and real electrical load. Power hookups are often the long pole on industrial projects, so coordinate EV capable capacity and the 200 or 400 kVA truck allowance with the utility early. Our explainers on PG&E energization timelines and industrial building power cover the process. Regional brokerage reports put Bakersfield industrial vacancy at 9.55% in Q2 2026, so new buildings that are ready for electric fleets may also lease better.
Incentives change often. The CALeVIP program, funded by the California Energy Commission, says its Fast Charge California Project is opening new windows in October 2026 and February 2027 for property owners, contractors and businesses. The California Public Utilities Commission authorized PG&E’s EV Fleet program ($210 million) and Southern California Edison’s Charge Ready Transport program ($343 million) for medium- and heavy-duty infrastructure in May 2018.
For buyers and lenders, a recently built property’s EV infrastructure should have been inspected and finaled, accessible EV spaces should have been provided under California Building Code Section 11B-228.3, and the electrical service should have headroom left after the EV allocation. Our industrial building specifications guide covers the other features that drive a building’s value.
EV charging compliance checklist
- Code cycle by permit application date: 2025 CALGreen for applications on or after Jan. 1, 2026.
- Count total actual parking spaces and note whether the occupancy is office or retail, which carries higher charger counts.
- Size panel and transformer capacity for every EV capable space at a 40-amp, 208/240-volt circuit, or use the power allocation method.
- For warehouses, groceries, retail, office and manufacturing with loading spaces, add the Table 5.106.5.5.1 capacity and spare raceway.
- Lay out accessible EV spaces under California Building Code 11B-228.3 and Table 11B-228.3.2.1 before striping.
- On existing sites, a service upgrade or solar carport can trigger Section 5.106.5.4.
- In leases, address tenant charger rights under Civil Code 1952.7, metering, capacity allocation and removal at lease end.
Worked example: what does a 400,000 SF spec warehouse in Bakersfield need?
A new 400,000 SF warehouse with 220 car spaces and 50 loading positions would need 44 EV capable spaces, 22 installed chargers and 400 kVA of truck-readiness capacity under 2025 CALGreen. The numbers are illustrative; the project’s engineer and plan checker determine actual compliance.
- Light duty. 220 spaces falls in the 201-and-over row, so 20% x 220 = 44 spaces must be EV capable, and 50% of those, 22 spaces, must have chargers. Under the 2022 code the same lot would have needed 11 installed chargers. Some of the 22 must be accessible under California Building Code Table 11B-228.3.2.1.
- Truck readiness. The building exceeds 256,000 SF and has at least one planned loading space, so it needs 400 kVA of added capacity plus spare raceway or busway.
- Power. If each of the 44 EV capable spaces receives full capacity for a 40-amp circuit, simple arithmetic gives about 366 kVA at 208 volts (44 x 40 A x 208 V) or about 422 kVA at 240 volts. That ignores any reduction the power allocation method or load management may allow. Added to the 400 kVA truck allowance, the EV-related reserve could approach 800 kVA, which is why the utility service request should go in early. The actual load depends on the project’s electrical design.
Illustrative results, 220 parking spaces and 50 loading positions
| Item | 2022 CALGreen | 2025 CALGreen |
|---|---|---|
| EV capable spaces | 44 | 44 |
| Installed chargers (EVCS) | 11 | 22 |
| Truck-readiness capacity | 400 kVA | 400 kVA |
Frequently asked questions
How many EV chargers does a new commercial building need in California?
It depends on total parking. Under 2025 CALGreen Table 5.106.5.3.1, a lot with 10 to 25 spaces needs 4 EV capable spaces and 2 installed chargers (3 for office or retail). At 201 or more spaces, 20% of spaces must be EV capable and half of those need chargers, or 75% for office and retail. At least one must be Level 2.
What changed in the 2025 CALGreen EV charging requirements?
The 2025 edition took effect Jan. 1, 2026. It kept the EV capable counts but roughly doubled the installed chargers, for example from 9 to 18 at a lot with 151 to 200 spaces. It also added a higher column for office and retail occupancies. The 2024 rules for parking additions and alterations carry forward.
Do warehouses have to install electric truck chargers?
No. CALGreen Section 5.106.5.5 requires readiness, not chargers. A new warehouse of 20,000 to 256,000 SF with one or two planned loading spaces must provide 200 kVA of added capacity and spare raceway or busway. With three or more loading spaces, or above 256,000 SF, the figure is 400 kVA.
Can my landlord stop me from installing an EV charger?
Generally not, if the property has 50 or more parking spaces and does not already offer charging at two or more spaces per 100. Civil Code 1952.7 voids lease terms in leases executed, renewed or extended on or after Jan. 1, 2015 that prohibit or unreasonably restrict a charger. You must hire a licensed contractor, carry $1 million in liability insurance and pay the operating costs.
Does adding solar carports trigger EV charging requirements?
It can. Since the July 1, 2024 supplement, Section 5.106.5.4 applies when a new solar system covers existing parking spaces or when work increases power to a service panel. The EV rules then apply to the spaces being added or altered, and any existing EV capable spaces must receive chargers first.
How fast must Kern County or Bakersfield approve an EV charger permit?
For one to 25 chargers at a site, Government Code 65850.71 deems the application complete after 5 business days. It is deemed approved 20 business days after that unless the agency acts. Larger projects get 10 and 40 business days. Under Government Code 65850.7, cities and counties must also have a streamlined ordinance and an online checklist.
Are EV charging spaces required to be accessible?
Yes, once chargers are installed. CALGreen points to California Building Code Section 11B-228.3, and Table 11B-228.3.2.1 sets how many van-accessible, standard accessible and ambulatory EV charging spaces a facility needs based on its total number of chargers. Accessible spaces need larger stalls and access aisles, so the layout is set before striping.
Planning a new building, an electrical upgrade or a lease where EV charging could come up? Call Kern CRE at 855-KERN-CRE (855-537-6273) or contact us and we can help you frame the questions for your engineer, the utility and the other side of the deal. Get Kern County CRE news monthly: subscribe to the Kern CRE report.
Sources
- 2025 California Green Building Standards Code: Nonresidential Mandatory Measures technical guide, City of Santa Monica Building and Safety.
- Guide to the 2022 California Green Building Standards Code, Nonresidential (Supplement July 1, 2024), California Building Standards Commission, July 2024.
- 2022 CALGreen Nonresidential Mandatory Measures checklist (with supplement effective July 1, 2024), City of Ontario Building Department, January 2025.
- 2025 Changes to CALGreen Nonresidential EV Charging, Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN).
- 2025 California EV Charging Codes and Regulations, CALBO Training Institute (posted by Permit Sonoma), 2025.
- California Civil Code Section 1952.7, Justia (California Civil Code, 2025).
- California Government Code Section 65850.7, Justia (California Government Code, 2025).
- California Government Code Section 65850.71, Justia (California Government Code, 2025).
- Summary of AB 1236 (Chiu, 2015) and AB 970 (McCarty, 2021) Requirements: Electric Vehicle Charging Station Permit Streamlining, Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).
- Kern Electric Vehicle Charging Station Blueprint: 2025 Update, Kern Council of Governments (prepared by DKS Associates), February 2026.
- California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project home page, CALeVIP (California Energy Commission program).
- Charging Infrastructure Deployment and Incentives, California Public Utilities Commission.
- Q2 2026 Bakersfield, CA Industrial Market Report, Lee & Associates, July 2026.
About this article
Kern CRE prepared this article with help from AI research and writing tools. An editor reviewed the draft, checked its facts against the sources linked above and edited it for accuracy and clarity. It is general information, not legal, tax, investment or financial advice; talk with a qualified professional about your situation.