An act to add and repeal Chapter 7.7 (commencing with Section 66015.5) of Division 1 of Title 7 of the Government Code, relating to local government.
AB 1820 would cap local permit fees for electric vehicle charging stations at the estimated reasonable cost of providing permitting services, and it sets specific fee ceilings for residential and commercial charging stations unless a city, county, or charter city makes written findings supported by substantial evidence that a higher fee reflects actual permitting costs. The bill also requires those findings to show that the local agency has adopted streamlined ordinances, permit fees, and approval processes consistent with state guidelines and model ordinances, and it allows the higher fee only if it is tied to a quicker, streamlined approval process.
The bill is structured as a temporary measure, with the new EV charging station fee chapter set to expire on January 1, 2036. It also amends existing solar permitting fee law in Government Code Section 66015, but those changes are described as nonsubstantive. In addition, the bill declares that consistent standards for EV charging station permitting fees are a matter of statewide concern, making the new rules applicable to all cities, including charter cities.
AB 1820 would add a new chapter to the Government Code governing local permit fees for electric vehicle charging stations and would extend the same general cost-based fee principle already used for solar permits to EV charging infrastructure. Local governments would be limited to charging no more than the reasonable cost of issuing permits, subject to specified dollar-and-kilowatt caps, unless they adopt formal findings and evidence supporting a higher fee. The bill would therefore affect city, county, city and county, and charter city permitting practices, and it would impose a state-mandated local program, though the bill states no reimbursement is required. It also reinforces existing solar permitting fee provisions by making only minor, nonsubstantive edits to the definition of residential permit fee.
The available vote history suggests the bill has been received favorably in committee, with a unanimous 6-0 do pass recommendation in the Assembly committee process. The bill’s framing emphasizes streamlined permitting, cost control, and statewide consistency, which are generally pro-development and pro-clean-energy themes. No committee transcript is available here, but the structure of the bill and the positive vote indicate broad support at least at the committee level.
The main point of contention is likely local control versus statewide regulation. By declaring the subject a matter of statewide concern and applying the rules to charter cities, the bill limits local discretion over permitting fees and could be viewed by local governments as an intrusion into municipal affairs. Another likely issue is whether the fee caps are sufficient to cover actual administrative costs in some jurisdictions, especially for larger or more complex projects. Supporters would likely argue that high or inconsistent permit fees slow EV adoption and undermine state climate goals, while critics may focus on administrative burden, cost recovery, and the bill’s preemption of local fee-setting authority.