Santa Barbara County Municipal Code Art. XVII Expedited Permitting Procedures for Electric Vehicle Charging Station…

The purpose of this chapter is to establish an expedited permitting procedure for electric vehicle charging station systems to assist with timely and cost-effective installations.

(Ord. No. 5270, § 1, 11-18-2025)

The following definitions shall govern all terms of this chapter and shall supersede any term otherwise defined in this chapter:

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

1. Electronic mail or email;

2. The internet;

3. Facsimile.

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

(Ord. No. 5270, § 1, 11-18-2025)

A. All documents required for the submission of an expedited electric vehicle charging station application shall be made available on the county's internet website.

B. Electronic submittal of the required permit application and documents by email shall be made available to all electric vehicle charging station permit applicants.

C. The electronic signature of an applicant, engineer, architect, or contractor shall be accepted on all forms, applications, and other documents in lieu of a wet signature.

D. The building safety division shall publish a checklist, adopted by the board of supervisors, with all requirements that electric vehicle charging stations must comply with to be eligible for expedited review.

(Ord. No. 5270, § 1, 11-18-2025)

A. Applicant shall verify the electric vehicle charging station meets all applicable safety and performance standards established by the California Electrical Code, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, and accredited testing laboratories such as Underwriters Laboratories and, where applicable, rules of the public utilities commission regarding safety and reliability.

B. For projects that comply with the electric vehicle charging station checklist, the applicant may submit the permit application and associated documentation to the county's building safety division by personal, mailed, or electronic submittal.

C. 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.

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

(Ord. No. 5270, § 1, 11-18-2025)

The decision of the building official to approve or deny a permit for an electric vehicle charging station may be appealed pursuant to section 10-1.12 of this Chapter.

(Ord. No. 5270, § 1, 11-18-2025)