RCW 64.90.513
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WUCIOA provision on electric vehicle charging station installations. Restricts associations from unreasonably prohibiting or regulating EV charging stations, with special exemptions for single-family homes, site condominiums, and planned use developments where units are not immediately adjacent.
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Change History
1 verified change on record
SHB 2354 (Chapter 96, Laws of 2026) took away the governing documents' power to shift responsibility for an electric vehicle charging station. RCW 64.90.513(8) now reads: "Without regard for when an electric vehicle charging station was first put into service and the location of any components thereof, the owner and each successive owner of an electric vehicle charging station exclusively serving the owner's unit is responsible for:" It previously began "Except as set forth in the governing documents and without regard." The act also struck RCW 64.90.513(8) from the provisions RCW 64.90.015(3) lets governing documents vary. Effective June 11, 2026.
Before
(8) Except as set forth in the governing documents and without regard for when an electric vehicle charging station was first put into service and the location of any components thereof, the owner and each successive owner of an electric vehicle charging station exclusively serving the owner's unit is responsible for: (a) Costs for the inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement of the electric vehicle charging station up until the station …
After
(8) Without regard for when an electric vehicle charging station was first put into service and the location of any components thereof, the owner and each successive owner of an electric vehicle charging station exclusively serving the owner's unit is responsible for: (a) Costs for the inspection, maintenance, repair, and replacement of the electric vehicle charging station up until the station is removed; (b) Costs for damage to the electric …
Statutory Text
Verified Jul 17, 2026 · LEG_WA_GOV
(1)(a) A unit owners association may not adopt or enforce a restriction, covenant, condition, bylaw, rule, regulation, provision of a governing document, or master deed provision that: (i) Effectively prohibits or unreasonably restricts the installation or use of an electric vehicle charging station in compliance with the requirements of this section and for the personal noncommercial use of a unit owner, within the boundaries of a unit or in a designated parking space; or (ii) Is in conflict with the provisions of this section. (b) Nothing in this section prohibits an association from imposing reasonable restrictions on electric vehicle charging stations. However, it is the policy of the state to promote, encourage, and remove obstacles to the use of electric vehicle charging stations. (c) Notwithstanding (a) or (b) of this subsection, an association of single-family homes, site condominiums, or a planned use development where the units are not immediately adjacent may not require approval of the installation of an electric vehicle charging station unless the electric vehicle charging station: (i) Is installed within or upon a common element; or (ii) Is connected to a common electrical power supply. (2) A unit owners association may require a unit owner to submit an application for approval for the installation of an electric vehicle charging station before installing the charging station unless such installation is exempt from restrictions pursuant to subsection (1)(c) of this section. (3)(a) If approval is required for the installation or use of an electric vehicle charging station subject to subsection (2) of this section, the application for approval must be processed and approved in the same manner as an application for approval of an architectural modification. (b) The approval or denial of an application must be in writing and must not be willfully avoided or delayed. (c) If an application is not denied in writing within 60 days from the date of receipt of the application, the application is deemed approved, unless that delay is the result of a reasonable request for additional information. (d) An association may not assess or charge a unit owner a fee for the placement of an electric vehicle charging station. An association may charge a reasonable fee for processing the application to approve the installation of an electric vehicle charging station, but only if such a fee exists for all applications for approval of architectural modifications. (4) If approval is required for the installation or use of an electric vehicle charging station subject to subsection (2) of this section, a unit owners association must approve the installation within the boundaries of a unit or in a designated parking space if the installation is reasonably possible and the unit owner agrees in writing to: (a) Comply with the association's reasonable architectural standards applicable to the installation of the electric vehicle charging station; (b) Engage an electrical contractor familiar with the standards for the installation of electric vehicle infrastructure to assess the existing infrastructure necessary to support the proposed electric vehicle charging station, identify additional …
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Governance
| Ref | Requirement |
|---|---|
| (1)(a) | A Washington HOA cannot ban or unreasonably restrict an EV charging station that an owner installs for personal use inside the unit or in the owner's designated parking space. A designated space includes a garage, a deeded space, and a space in a limited common element reserved for one or more owners. |
| (1)(b) | HOAs CAN require permits, professional electricians, additional insurance, and restoration agreements. What they cannot do is layer those requirements so heavily that installation becomes practically impossible. Reasonableness is the standard. |
| (1)(c) | In a community of single-family homes, site condominiums, or a planned use development whose units are not immediately adjacent, the HOA cannot require its approval before you install an EV charging station, unless the station sits on a common element or draws power from a common electrical supply. |
| (8) | If a charger serves only the owner's unit, the owner and every later owner pay for its upkeep, electricity, insurance, damage, and removal. Since June 11, 2026, the governing documents cannot shift those costs to the association, even when parts of the station sit on common elements. The owner also pays to install a charger unless the association agrees otherwise in writing. |
Other sections in this chapter
- RCW 64.90
- RCW 64.90.065 — Adjustment of dollar amounts
- RCW 64.90.365
- RCW 64.90.370 — Election of preexisting common interest communities, plat communities, miscellaneous communities
- RCW 64.90.410 — Board members, officers, and committees
- RCW 64.90.445 — Board Meetings — Notice and Conduct
- RCW 64.90.450 — Quorum
- RCW 64.90.455 — Unit owner voting
- RCW 64.90.470 — Insurance
- RCW 64.90.480
- RCW 64.90.485
- RCW 64.90.490 — Other liens
Articles Citing This Statute
Legal references last verified October 11, 2026.
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