EV charger permit scorecard
Short answer: 5 of 50 cities have all three items confirmed on official city pages. Boston ranks first (fee $20, online filing yes, 1 inspection). The other 45 are unrated, never guessed.
Last updated:
Which cities make EV charger permits easiest?
Ranked by lowest official fee, then online filing (yes first), then fewest inspection steps.
| # | City | Permit fee | Online filing | Inspection steps | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston, MA | $20.00 No change in service: $20 application fee plus $1 per fixture, plug or outlet, plus $5 per approved meter. New/upgraded service: $20 plus $0.25 per amp up to 240V. | Yes “How to apply: Online” (licensed contractors only, ISD online portal). | 1 Schedule an inspection once work is finished; project is finished when “the inspection passes”. | Sources: Boston.gov – Electrical Permit; City of Boston – Electrical permit (official) (accessed 2026-10-25). |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $52.56 EV charger Level 2, 30–50A: $52.56 (15–25A $26.28; 60–225A $108.04), plus $55.48 administrative fee; minimum self-issued electrical permit $105.12; 5% technology fee applies. | Yes Level II (40 A) single-family EV charger permits “require no plan review and may be obtained online” (Seattle Services Portal). | 3 “Most permits require three electrical inspections: cover, service, and final.” (general electrical-permit guidance, not EV-specific) | Sources: SDCI Tip #132 – EV Charger for Single-Family and Multifamily Homes; SDCI – Electrical Permit; Seattle 2026 Fee Subtitle, Table D-15 (official PDF) (accessed 2026-10-25). |
| 3 | Tampa, FL | $120.00 Electrical (general) trade permit, residential: $120, plus Florida Building Permit Surcharge (2.5% of permit value, $4 minimum). | Yes Residential Electric Trade Permit through the City’s Accela Citizen Access portal. | 1 Inspection: “ELE-Final”; plan review N/A. | Sources: City of Tampa – Residential Electrical, Plumbing, and Mechanical; City of Tampa – Accela Citizen Access; City of Tampa Trade Permit Fee Schedule (official PDF) (accessed 2026-10-25). |
| 4 | Anaheim, CA | $172.00 Level 2 EV charger: “The cost of the building permit is $172” (electrical permit). | Yes Electrical permit “can be obtained online by contractor only – owners must permit in person.” | 1 Inspections required: Electrical Final (code 399). | Sources: City of Anaheim – Electric Vehicle Charger; City of Anaheim – Electric Vehicle Charger (official) (accessed 2026-10-25). |
| 5 | Long Beach, CA | $193.32 Express electrical permit for EV charging station: $193.32 including all applicable surcharges and filing fees; covers up to 3 installations (e.g. two EVSEs and a panel upgrade). | No Filing is “to the Permit Center by appointments” (Express Permit Service); no online filing described. | 1 “Approval will be granted upon final inspection of the EVCS.” | Sources: City of Long Beach – EV Charging Stations; City of Long Beach – EV charging stations (official) (accessed 2026-10-25). |
Which cities are unrated, and why?
| City | Missing | Confirmed so far |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | Unrated: permit fee from an official city source (current figure is secondary); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| San Jose, CA | Unrated: single permit fee (official fee is valuation/formula based); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| San Diego, CA | Unrated: number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | Online filing: yes. Source: San Diego Information Bulletin 187 (accessed 2026-10-25). |
| Portland, OR | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Denver, CO | Unrated: single permit fee (official fee is valuation/formula based); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Phoenix, AZ | Unrated: single permit fee (official fee is valuation/formula based); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Austin, TX | Unrated: permit fee from an official city source (current figure is secondary); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Atlanta, GA | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Chicago, IL | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| San Francisco, CA | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Oakland, CA | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Fresno, CA | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Sacramento, CA | Unrated: single permit fee (official fee is valuation/formula based); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Irvine, CA | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Memphis, TN | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| New York City, NY | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Newark, NJ | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Washington, DC | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Arlington, VA | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Richmond, VA | Unrated: single permit fee (official fee is valuation/formula based); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Virginia Beach, VA | Unrated: permit fee from an official city source (current figure is secondary); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Baltimore, MD | Unrated: single permit fee (official fee is valuation/formula based); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Philadelphia, PA | Unrated: single permit fee (official fee is valuation/formula based); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Pittsburgh, PA | Unrated: single permit fee (official fee is valuation/formula based); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Las Vegas, NV | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Salt Lake City, UT | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Tucson, AZ | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Dallas, TX | Unrated: number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | Online filing: yes. Source: City of Dallas – DallasNow (accessed 2026-10-25). |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unrated: single permit fee (official fee is valuation/formula based); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Houston, TX | Unrated: number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | Online filing: yes. Source: Houston Permitting Center – EV Charging Outlets Permit (accessed 2026-10-25). |
| San Antonio, TX | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Miami, FL | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Orlando, FL | Unrated: single permit fee (official fee is valuation/formula based); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Jacksonville, FL | Unrated: permit fee from an official city source (current figure is secondary); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Minneapolis, MN | Unrated: permit fee from an official city source (current figure is secondary); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Detroit, MI | Unrated: number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | Online filing: yes. Source: City of Detroit – Trade Permits (accessed 2026-10-25). |
| Columbus, OH | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Indianapolis, IN | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Kansas City, MO | Unrated: permit fee from an official city source (current figure is secondary); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| St. Louis, MO | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Oklahoma City, OK | Unrated: online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Charlotte, NC | Unrated: permit fee from an official city source (current figure is secondary); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
| Raleigh, NC | Unrated: number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | Online filing: no. Source: City of Raleigh – EV Charging Station Installation (accessed 2026-10-25). |
| Nashville, TN | Unrated: permit fee (data pending); online filing (not confirmed on an official page); number of inspection steps (not stated on an official page) | – |
Why are most cities unrated?
We rate a city only when its official pages give a single fee, say whether you can file online and state how many inspections are required. If any of these is missing, we list it rather than guess.
Where do the fees come from?
From each city's official fee schedule, as used on our permit fee index.