Montclair Municipal Code Ch. 10.20 Electrical Code

The California Electrical Code, 2025 Edition, based on the 2023 National Electrical Code as published by the National Fire Protection Association, shall be the Electrical Code of the City of Montclair, regulating all installation, arrangement, alteration, repair, use, and other operation of electrical wiring, connections, fixtures, and other electrical appliances on premises within the City. The California Electrical Code is on file for public examination in the office of the Building Official, and can also be viewed online at https://www.dgs.ca.gov/bsc/codes.

(Ord. 07-899 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 10-918, § 3, 11-15-10; Ord. No. 13-938, § 3, 12-2-13; Ord. No. 17-964, § 3, 2-21-17; Ord. No. 19-988, § IV, 12-16-19; Ord. No. 22-1002, § II, 12-19-22; Ord. No. 25-1016, § I(Exh. A), 12-15-25)

Editor's note— Ord. No. 25-1016, § I(Exh. A), adopted Dec. 15, 2025, repealed § 10.20.020, which pertained to electrical code amendments and derived from Ord. No. 10-918, § 4, adopted Nov. 15, 2010; Ord. No. 13-938, § 3, adopted Dec. 2, 2013; and Ord. No. 17-964, § 3, adopted Feb. 21, 2017.

A. The following words and phrases as used in this section are defined as follows:

Building official means the building official of the City of Montclair or his/her designee.

Electronic submittal means the utilization of one or more of the following:

1. E-mail;

2. The internet.

Small residential rooftop solar energy system means all of the following:

1. A solar energy system that is no larger than ten kilowatts alternating current nameplate rating or 30 kilowatts thermal; and

2. A solar energy system that conforms to all applicable state fire, structural, electrical, and other building codes as adopted or amended by the city and paragraph (iii) of subdivision (c) of Section 714 of the Civil Code, as such section or subdivision may be amended, renumbered, or redesignated from time to time; and

3. A solar energy system that is installed on a single or duplex family dwelling; and

4. A solar panel or module array that does not exceed the maximum legal building height as defined by the authority having jurisdiction.

Solar energy system has the same meaning set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 801.5 of the Civil Code, as such section or subdivision may be amended, renumbered, or redesignated from time to time.

B. Prior to submitting an application, the applicant shall:

1. Verify to the applicant's reasonable satisfaction through the use of standard engineering evaluation techniques that the support structure for the small residential rooftop solar energy system is stable and adequate to transfer all wind, seismic, and dead and live loads associated with the system to the building foundation; and

2. At the applicant's cost, verify to the applicant's reasonable satisfaction using standard electrical inspection techniques that the existing electrical system including existing line, load, ground and bonding wiring as well as main panel and subpanel sizes are adequately sized, based on the existing electrical system's current use, to carry all new photovoltaic electrical loads.

C. For a small residential rooftop solar energy system eligible for expedited review, only one inspection shall be required, which shall be done in a timely manner and may include a consolidated inspection by the building official. If a small residential rooftop solar energy system fails inspection, a subsequent inspection is authorized; however, the subsequent inspection need not conform to the requirements of this subsection.

D. An application that satisfies the information requirements in the checklist, as determined by the building official, shall be deemed complete. Upon receipt of an incomplete application, the building official shall issue a written correction notice detailing all deficiencies in the application and any additional information required to be eligible for expedited permit issuance.

E. Upon confirmation by the building official of the application and supporting documentation being complete and meeting the requirements of the checklist, the building official shall administratively approve the application and issue all required permits or authorizations.

(Ord. No. 15-952, § 1, 7-20-15; Ord. No. 25-1016, § I(Exh. A), 12-15-25)

A. The following words or phrases as used in this section are defined as follows:

Electric vehicle charging station or charging station means any level of electric vehicle supply equipment station that is designed and built in compliance with Article 625 of the California Electrical Code, as it reads on the effective date of this chapter, and delivers electricity from a source outside an electric vehicle into a plug-in vehicle.

Electronic submittal means the utilization of one or more of the following:

1. E-mail;

2. The internet.

Specific adverse impact means a significant, quantifiable, direct, and unavoidable impact, based on objective, identified, and written public health or safety standards, policies, or conditions as they existed on the date the application was deemed complete.

B. The purpose of this section is to promote and encourage the use of electric vehicles by implementing an expedited, streamlined permit review process for electric vehicle charging stations and adopt a checklist of all requirements with which electric vehicle charging stations shall comply in order to be eligible for expedited review. The expedited administrative permit review process and checklist may refer to the recommendations in the checklist prescribed by the most current version of the "Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Permitting Checklist" of the "Zero-Emission Vehicles in California: Community Readiness Guidebook" published by the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. The City of Montclair's adopted checklist shall be published on the City of Montclair website.

C. Electric Vehicle Charging System Requirements.

1. All electric vehicle charging systems shall meet the requirements of the California Electrical Code, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and accredited testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories, and rules of the Public Utilities Commission regarding safety and reliability.

2. Installation of electric vehicle charging stations shall be incorporated into the load calculations of all new or existing electrical services and shall meet the requirements of the California Electrical code. Electric vehicle charging equipment shall be considered a continuous load.

3. Anchorage of either floor-mounted or wall-mounted electric vehicle charging stations shall meet the requirements of the California Building or Residential Code as applicable per occupancy, and the provisions of the manufacturer's installation instructions. Mounting of charging stations shall not adversely affect building elements.

D. Permit Application Procession.

1. All documents required for submission of an electric vehicle charging system application shall be made available on the publicly accessible City of Montclair website.

2. The City of Montclair shall adopt a checklist of all requirements with which electric vehicle charging systems shall comply to be eligible for expedited review.

3. The electric vehicle charging system permit process and checklist shall substantially conform to recommendations contained in the most current version of the Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Permitting Checklist contained in the Zero-Emission Vehicles in California: Community Readiness Guidebook adopted by the Governor's Office of Planning and Research.

4. The building official shall allow the electronic submittal of the electric vehicle charging station application, forms and other documents, with the exception of building plans, in lieu of a wet signature. The city does not have available the technology necessary to provide for the electronic submittal of building plans.

E. Permit Review Requirements.

1. The building official shall implement an administrative review process to expedite approval of electric vehicle charging stations. Where the application meets the requirements of the approved checklist and standards and there are no specific, adverse impacts upon public health or safety, the building department shall complete the building permit approval process, which is nondiscretionary. Review of the permit application shall be limited to the building official's review of whether the application meets local, state and federal health and safety requirements.

2. The building official may require an applicant to apply for a conditional use permit if the official finds, based on substantial evidence, that the electric vehicle charging station could have a specific, adverse impact upon the public health and safety. Such decisions may be appealed to the planning commission in accordance with the procedures in Chapter 1.08.

3. If a conditional use permit is required, the city may only deny such application if it makes written findings based upon substantial evidence in the record that the proposed installation would have a specific, adverse impact upon public health or safety and there is no feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the adverse impact. Such findings shall include the basis for the rejection of the potential feasible alternative for preventing the adverse impact. Such decisions made by the building official may be appealed to the planning commission in accordance with the procedures in Chapter 1.08.

4. Any condition imposed on an application shall be designed to mitigate the specific, adverse impact upon health and safety at the lowest possible cost.

5. A feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the specific, adverse impact includes, but is not limited to, any cost-effective method, condition, or mitigation imposed by the city on another similarly situated application in a prior successful application for a permit.

6. The city shall not condition approval of an application on the approval of an association, as that term is defined by Civil Code Section 4080.

7. An application for an electric vehicle charging station shall be deemed complete and the permit available for issuance, when the building official determines that the application satisfies all the requirements found in the checklist.

8. If an application is deemed incomplete, a written plan check correction notice will be available to the applicant within ten working days, detailing all deficiencies in the application and any additional information or documentation required to be eligible for expedited permit issuance shall be given to the applicant for resubmission.

(Ord. No. 17-969, § 1, 10-2-17; Ord. No. 25-1016, § I(Exh. A), 12-15-25)