Ordinance No. MC-1662
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ORDINANCE NO. MC-1662
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO, CALIFORNIA,
ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR EXPEDITING
PERMITTING PROCESSING FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE
CHARGING SYSTEMS AND FINDING THAT THE
ORDINANCE IS EXEMPT FOR THE REQUIREMENTS OF
THE CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
SECTION 15308
WHEREAS, the City of San Bernardino, California (“City”) is a chartered city and municipal corporation, duly organized under the California Constitution and laws of the State of California; and
WHEREAS, the State of California and the City of San Bernardino have consistently promoted and encouraged the use of electric vehicles; and WHEREAS, the State of California recently adopted Assembly Bill 1236, which requires local agencies to adopt an ordinance that creates an expedited and streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging systems; and
WHEREAS, creation of an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations would facilitate convenient charging of electric vehicles and help reduce the City’s / County’s reliance on environmentally damaging fossil fuels; and WHEREAS, the City of San Bernardino has a checklist of all requirements needed for expedited review posted on the city’s website; and
WHEREAS, adoption of this ordinance will bring the City of San Bernardino in compliance with State regulations;
THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1.The above recitals are true and correct and are incorporated herein by this reference.
SECTION 2. Purpose. The purpose of this Chapter is to promote and encourage the use of electric vehicles by creating an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations while promoting public health and safety and preventing specific adverse impacts in the installation and use of such charging stations. This Chapter is also purposed to comply with California Government Code Section 65850.7.
SECTION 3. Definitions. (a) “Electric vehicle charging station” or “charging station” means any level of electric vehicle supply equipment station that is designed and built in Ordinance No. MC-1662
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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 electric vehicle.
(b) “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. (c) “Electronic submittal” means the utilization of one or more of the following:
a. Electronic mail or email.
b. The internet.
c. Facsimile.
SECTION 4. Expedited permitting process. Consistent with Government Code Section 65850.7, the Building Official shall implement an expedited, streamlined permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations, and adopt a checklist of all requirements with which electric vehicle charging stations shall comply with in order to be eligible for expedited review. The expedited, streamlined permitting process and checklist may refer to the recommendations contained in the most current version of the “Plug-In Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Permitting Checklist” of the “Zero-Emission Vehicles in California: Community Readiness Guidebook” as published by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. The City’s / County’s adopted checklist shall be published on the City’s / County’s website.
SECTION 5. Permit application processing. (a) Prior to submitting an application for processing, the applicant shall verify that the installation of an electric vehicle charging station will not have specific, adverse impact to public health and safety and building occupants.
Verification by the applicant includes but is not limited to: electrical system capacity and loads; electrical system wiring, bonding and overcurrent protection; building infrastructure affected by charging station equipment and associated conduits; areas of charging station equipment and vehicle parking.
(b) A permit application that satisfies the information requirements in the adopted checklist shall be deemed complete and be promptly processed. Projects consisting of 1-25 charging stations must be reviewed and deemed complete/incomplete within 5 business days. Should the application be missing requested checklist items or contain errors, the Building Official shall issue one notice of correction detailing all deficiencies. The applicant shall resubmit the corrected paperwork to qualify for expedited permit processing. For projects of 26 or more charging stations, the Building Official shall review and deem complete/incomplete within 10 business days. Should the application be missing requested checklist items, the Building Official shall issue a notice of correction detailing all deficiencies that must be corrected to qualify for expedited permit processing. The applicant shall resubmit the corrected paperwork to qualify for expedited permit processing.
(c) Upon confirmation by the Building Official that the permit application and supporting documents meets the requirements of the City adopted checklist, and is consistent with all Ordinance No. MC-1662
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applicable laws, the Building Official shall, consistent with Government Code Section 65850.7, approve the application and issue all necessary permits. For projects consisting of 1-25 stations, the Building Official shall have 20 business days to review for health and safety considerations and grant approval. For projects with 26 or more stations the Building Official shall have 40 business days to review for health and safety considerations and grant approval. Such approval does not authorize an applicant to energize or utilize the electric vehicle charging station until approval is granted by the City.
(d) Consistent with Government Code Section 65850.7, the Building Official shall allow for electronic submittal of permit applications covered by this Ordinance and associated supporting documentation. In accepting such permit applications, the Building Official shall also accept electronic signatures on all forms, applications, and other documentation in lieu of a wet signature by any applicant.
SECTION 6. Technical review. (a) It is the intent of this Ordinance to encourage the installation of electric vehicle charging stations by removing obstacles to permitting for charging stations so long as the action does not supersede the Building Official’s authority to address higher priority life-safety situations. If the Building Official makes a finding based on substantial evidence that the electric vehicle charging station could have a specific adverse impact upon the public health or safety, as defined in this Chapter, the City / County may require the applicant to apply for a use permit.
(b) In the technical review of a charging station, consistent with Government Code Section 65850.7, the Building Official shall not condition the approval for any electric vehicle charging station permit on the approval of such a system by an association, as that term is defined by Civil Code Section 4080.
SECTION 7. Electric vehicle charging station installation requirements. (a) Electric vehicle charging station equipment 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 or a Municipal Electric Utility Company regarding safety and reliability. (a) Installation of electric vehicle charging stations and associated wiring, bonding, disconnecting means and overcurrent protective devices shall meet the requirements of Article 625 and all applicable provisions of the California Electrical Code. (b) 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. (c) 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.
SECTION 8. Finding of consistency. Any provision of the City of San Bernardino Municipal Code or appendices thereto, inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, to the Ordinance No. MC-1662
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extent of such inconsistencies and no further, are hereby repealed or modified to that extent necessary to effect the provisions of this Ordinance.
SECTION 9. Certification. City Clerk of the City of San Bernardino shall certify to the adoption of this Ordinance and cause publication to occur in a newspaper of general circulation and published and circulated in the City in a manner permitted under Section 36933 of the Government Code of the State of California.
SECTION 10. CEQA. The Planning Division of the Community Development & Housing Department is hereby directed to file a notice of exemption with the County Clerk of the County of San Bernardino within five (5) days of final approval of this ordinance certifying the city’s compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act in approving this ordinance.
SECTION 11. Severability. If any section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this ordinance, or any part thereof, is for any reason held to be unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of this Ordinance or any part thereof. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed each section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase be declared unconstitutional. If for any reason any portion of this ordinance is found to be invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the balance of this ordinance shall not be affected.
SECTION 12. Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after its adoption.
APPROVED and ADOPTED by the City Council and signed by the Mayor and attested by the City Clerk this 18th day of March 2026.
Helen Tran, Mayor
City of San Bernardino
Attest:
Telicia Lopez, CMC, City Clerk
Approved as to form:
Sonia Carvalho, City Attorney
Ordinance No. MC-1662
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Ordinance No. MC-1662
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CERTIFICATION
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO) ss
CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO )
I, Telicia Lopez, CMC, City Clerk, hereby certify that the attached is a true copy of Ordinance No. MC-1662, introduced by the City Council of the City of San Bernardino, California, at a regular meeting held the 18 th day of March, 2026. Ordinance No. MC-1662 was approve passed and adopted at a regular meeting held the ___day of _____, 2026 by the following vote:
Council Members: AYES NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT
SANCHEZ _____ _____ _______ _______
IBARRA _____ _____ _______ _______
FIGUEROA _____ _____ _______ _______
SHORETT _____ _____ _______ _______
KNAUS _____ _____ _______ _______
FLORES _____ _____ _______ _______
ORTIZ _____ _____ _______ _______
WITNESS my hand and official seal of the City of San Bernardino this ___ day of ____________ 2026.
Telicia Lopez, CMC, City Clerk