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2025 CALGreen EV Charging Requirements for Commercial Buildings: What Owners Must Build From January 1, 2026

October 21, 2026 · Burge Energy · 7 min read

The 2025 California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen, Title 24, Part 11) took effect on January 1, 2026, and its CALGreen EV charging requirements now apply to new nonresidential buildings and to many additions and alterations. The update came out of the 2024 triennial rulemaking, was published July 1, 2025, and replaced the 2022 edition, which stayed enforceable through December 31, 2025. The biggest change for owners: the code now splits projects into "office and retail" and "other than office and retail," and it raised the number of chargers that must be installed on day one. If your permit application landed in 2026, these rules shape your parking layout, electrical service size and budget.

Key takeaways

CALGreen EV charging requirements by parking count

Section 5.106.5.3 gives designers three compliance paths: EV capable spaces (5.106.5.3.1), EV charging stations (5.106.5.3.2), both keyed to Table 5.106.5.3.1, or the power allocation method in 5.106.5.3.6. The state table, as presented by Building Standards Commission staff and reproduced in a City of Calabasas checklist, reads:

Total actual parking spaces Required EV capable spaces Required EVCS, other than office and retail Required EVCS, office and retail
1 to 9 0 0 0
10 to 25 4 2 3
26 to 50 8 4 6
51 to 75 13 6 8
76 to 100 17 8 13
101 to 150 25 12 19
151 to 200 35 18 26
201 and over 20% of actual spaces 50% of EV capable spaces 75% of EV capable spaces

Three footnotes matter. Calculations round up to the next whole number. Each EVCS reduces the required EV capable count by the same number, so chargers are counted inside the EV capable total, not added on top. And at least one Level 2 charger is required. Example: a 120 space office building needs 25 EV capable spaces, 19 of which must have chargers installed. Automated mechanical-access open parking systems are exempt.

What "EV capable" means under the 2025 code

An EV capable space is wired for a future charger without the charger itself. Under Section 5.106.5.3.1, that means:

  • Raceway: at least 1 inch in diameter, running from a service panel or subpanel to a listed enclosure near the space. One raceway may serve several spaces.
  • Panel capacity: space and load capacity for a dedicated 208/240 volt, 40 amp minimum branch circuit per space, with at least 30 amps to each installed charger.
  • System capacity: the electrical system and any on-site transformers must be able to deliver full rated amperage to every EV capable space.
  • Labeling: reserved breaker spaces marked "EV CAPABLE" in the panel directory, and the raceway end permanently marked the same way.

Plans and electrical calculations must demonstrate compliance with these infrastructure requirements. The 2025 edition also adds receptacle and connector rules: 208/240 volt receptacles must be NEMA 6-20R, 14-30R or 14-50R, and chargers must use SAE J1772 or SAE J3400 connectors.

Level 2, DC fast charging, load management and power allocation

Installed chargers may be any mix of Level 2 and DC fast charging (DCFC), with at least one Level 2 unit. Each DCFC reduces the required EV capable spaces (without chargers or with Level 2 chargers) by five, with a proportional cut in required panel load capacity. BSC staff describe this as a 1 to 5 substitution, and they note that two low power Level 2 receptacles at 20 amps each count as one 40 amp EV capable space.

Automatic load management systems (ALMS) are allowed and can lower the load capacity required per charger. Each charger on an ALMS must deliver at least 30 amps when charging one vehicle and 3.3 kW when several vehicles charge at once.

The power allocation method (5.106.5.3.6) is a full alternative to the EV capable and EVCS counts. It sizes compliance by electrical capacity in Table 5.106.5.3.6 rather than space counts. For 2025, the share of capacity that must go to installed chargers rose to 50% for other uses (from 25%) and 75% for office and retail. Ask your electrical engineer to run both paths; the cheaper one depends on your service size and site layout.

Accessibility and signage

When chargers are installed, CALGreen requires accessible EVCS under California Building Code Chapter 11B, and architectural plans must show compliance with Sections 11B-228.3 and 11B-812. Per the DSA FAQ, Section 11B-228.3 sets how many accessible chargers are required; 11B-812 covers their design. The Division of the State Architect's EVCS accessibility FAQ explains that an accessible EVCS needs an accessible route to the facility entrance and from the vehicle space to the charger.

Non-accessible chargers must be identified with signs or pavement markings per Caltrans Traffic Operations Policy Directive 13-01.

Additions and alterations: when existing sites must comply

CALGreen's nonresidential chapter applies to new buildings, additions of 1,000 square feet or more and alterations valued at $200,000 or more (Section 301.3). The EV rule in Section 5.106.5.4 uses narrower triggers. Existing buildings or parking facilities must comply when:

  1. A parking facility addition or alteration increases power supply to an electric service panel.
  2. A new photovoltaic system is installed over existing parking spaces.
  3. An addition or alteration triggered under Section 301.3 includes an increase in power to an electric service panel.

Where no EV capable infrastructure exists, the work must meet the new construction rules for the total number of spaces added or altered. Where infrastructure already exists, chargers go on existing EV capable spaces first, with more added if the work exceeds existing capacity. BSC staff list case-by-case exceptions for remote parking, lighting upgrades without trenching and emergency repairs.

Medium- and heavy-duty readiness, reach codes and the next code cycle

New warehouses, grocery stores, retail stores, office buildings and manufacturing facilities with planned off-street loading spaces must prepare for future truck charging under 5.106.5.5: spare raceways or busways plus adequate transformer, service panel or subpanel capacity, scaled to building size and loading space count. Office and manufacturing were added in 2025. Section 5.106.5.5.1 sets the minimums for construction documents.

Cities can go further. Local amendments to CALGreen may be more restrictive if backed by express findings filed with the Commission. Carlsbad's amended table (Ord. CS-498, December 2, 2025) requires one EV capable space on lots of 1 to 9 spaces. Menlo Park requires EV capable spaces at 30% of total parking on lots over 200 spaces. The state's AB 130 moratorium, running October 1, 2025 to June 1, 2031, covers standards affecting residential units, per BSC.

More change is coming. BSC adopted the 2025 intervening cycle changes, including all proposed CALGreen changes, in August 2026; supplements publish January 1, 2027 and take effect July 1, 2027. As proposed, the Part 11 package converts the 30 amp ALMS minimum to 6.2 kW and clarifies that, under the solar trigger, spaces not covered by new panels do not count. EV charging is also a topic for the 2027 triennial cycle.

What this means for your project

  • Confirm the code edition. The 2025 code took effect January 1, 2026; ask the building department which edition applies to your application date.
  • Classify the occupancy early. Whether you are "office and retail" changes the charger count (13 versus 8 on a 76 to 100 space lot).
  • Size service before schematic design. Panel, transformer and utility service capacity drive cost; compare the table path with power allocation.
  • Check local amendments. Ask your city whether it filed EV amendments with BSC for the 2025 cycle.
  • Coordinate accessibility. Your architect decides accessible charger locations under 11B; your electrical engineer decides circuits and ALMS.
  • Plan alterations carefully. A service upgrade or carport solar on an existing lot can trigger EV work.

Code requirements depend on project specifics and local amendments. Confirm with your architect, engineer and the local building department before relying on anything here.

Frequently asked questions

How many EV charging stations are required for a commercial building in California?

It depends on total parking and use. Under Table 5.106.5.3.1, a 26 to 50 space lot needs 8 EV capable spaces, with 4 chargers installed for most uses or 6 for office and retail. Lots over 200 spaces need 20% EV capable, with chargers on 50% or 75% of those.

What does EV capable mean in CALGreen?

An EV capable space has the infrastructure for a future charger: a raceway of at least 1 inch from the panel to the space, panel capacity for a dedicated 208/240 volt, 40 amp circuit, and "EV CAPABLE" labeling at the breaker and raceway end, as listed in Cupertino's 2025 checklist. No charger is installed.

Can DC fast chargers replace Level 2 chargers under CALGreen?

Partly. Each DCFC reduces required EV capable spaces (without chargers or with Level 2 chargers) by five, according to the Santa Clarita 2025 checklist. Required panel load capacity drops proportionally. But every project must still install at least one Level 2 charger, so a DCFC-only site does not meet the minimum.

Do CALGreen EV requirements apply to existing parking lots?

Yes, when triggered. Section 5.106.5.4 applies when parking work increases power to a service panel, when new solar covers existing spaces, or when a Section 301.3 addition or alteration includes a panel power increase, per the Santa Clarita checklist. Requirements apply to the spaces added or altered, not the whole lot.

When did the 2025 CALGreen code take effect?

The 2025 CALGreen code took effect January 1, 2026, according to the Building Standards Commission. It was published July 1, 2025, and the 2022 edition remained enforceable through December 31, 2025, per BSC staff. Intervening cycle amendments adopted in August 2026 take effect July 1, 2027.

How Burge can help

Burge Energy builds commercial EV charging from the service upgrade to the last parking stripe: load calculations, switchgear, conduit and trenching, accessible spaces and Level 2 or DC fast chargers, for new construction and existing lots. As part of a general contractor building in Southern California since 1977, Burge prices the required EV capable spaces with the building, not after it. Request an Energy Assessment, or see EV charging.

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