If you own or plan to buy an electric vehicle in California, the state’s EV laws touch five things that actually affect you: what automakers can sell you, what you pay at registration, whether you can install a charger where you live, how charging stalls are policed, and which perks still exist. The framework runs from the 2035 zero-emission sales mandate down to a $1,000 penalty an HOA can face for blocking your home charger. Several benefits Californians used to count on, including the state rebate and the carpool-lane decal for single drivers, have ended.
The 2035 Zero-Emission Sales Mandate
California’s Advanced Clean Cars II regulation, adopted by the California Air Resources Board, requires that 100% of new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the state qualify as zero-emission or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles by the 2035 model year.1California Air Resources Board. Advanced Clean Cars The requirement ramps up on a fixed schedule beginning with the 2026 model year, reaching 35% that year and climbing annually until it hits 100% in 2035.2California Air Resources Board. Section 1962.4 ZEV Standards 2026 and Subsequent Model Years
The rule governs what automakers sell. It does not restrict used car purchases or the continued operation of gasoline vehicles you already own. Plug-in hybrids can count toward an automaker’s compliance total up to 20% of its annual ZEV requirement, and only if they have a certified all-electric range greater than 70 miles. Battery-electric vehicles sold under the rule must have a minimum electric range of 150 miles.3Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management. Advanced Clean Cars II Zero-Emission Vehicle Regulation FAQs
The Annual Road Improvement Fee
Because EV owners don’t buy gasoline, they don’t pay the state gas tax that funds road maintenance. California recoups that revenue through the Road Improvement Fee, an annual charge on registration renewals for all zero-emission vehicles from the 2020 model year and later. The base fee was set at $100 when the program launched, and the DMV adjusts it each year by the increase in the California Consumer Price Index. Recent adjustments have brought it to $118, with a statutory cap of $175.4Alternative Fuels Data Center. Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Fee5National Conference of State Legislatures. Special Registration Fees for Electric and Hybrid Vehicles
One detail catches new EV buyers off guard. The Road Improvement Fee is not assessed on the initial registration of a newly purchased zero-emission vehicle from a licensed dealer. You’ll see it for the first time when your registration comes up for renewal.6California Department of Motor Vehicles. Registration Fees
Incentives That Still Exist and Ones That Have Ended
California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, the flagship state rebate for new EV purchases and leases, closed to new applications in November 2023 and is no longer accepting submissions.7Clean Vehicle Rebate Project. CVRP Home If you see CVRP referenced elsewhere as active, that information is outdated.
The federal clean vehicle tax credits are also gone. The New Clean Vehicle Credit, the Previously-Owned Clean Vehicle Credit, and the Qualified Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit all ceased to be available for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025. If you bought a qualifying vehicle or entered a binding contract on or before that date, you can still claim the credit at tax time, but no new purchases qualify. One related provision has a narrow remaining window: the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Tax Credit may still apply to qualified home or commercial charger equipment placed in service before July 1, 2026.8Internal Revenue Service. Clean Vehicle Tax Credits
Clean Cars 4 All
California still runs the Clean Cars 4 All program through the Air Resources Board for lower-income residents in participating air districts. The program pays you to scrap an older, high-polluting vehicle and replace it with a cleaner option, including new or used battery-electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, zero-emission motorcycles, e-bikes, or public transit vouchers. Participants buying a battery-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle can also receive a home charger incentive or a prepaid charging card.9California Air Resources Board. Clean Cars 4 All
Eligibility requires household income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. For residents in disadvantaged communities buying a zero-emission vehicle, the incentive can reach $12,000, plus up to $2,000 toward charging equipment. Lower amounts apply for plug-in hybrids ($11,500 maximum in disadvantaged communities), zero-emission motorcycles ($7,500), and alternative mobility options ($6,500). Outside disadvantaged communities, the ZEV incentive caps at $10,000.10California Air Resources Board. Clean Cars 4 All – About The program operates through five participating air districts and the statewide Driving Clean Assistance Program, so confirm your air district participates before counting on it.11California Climate Investments. Clean Cars 4 All
Your Right to Install a Charger in a Condo or HOA
California Civil Code Section 4745 voids any HOA covenant, deed restriction, or governing document that prohibits or unreasonably restricts installation of an EV charging station in your designated parking space or unit. The law also covers spaces in exclusive-use common areas and, with board authorization, certain shared common areas.12California Legislative Information. California Code CIV 4745
Your HOA can impose reasonable conditions, such as requiring a licensed contractor, a certificate of insurance, or compliance with architectural standards. Those conditions cannot significantly increase the cost of the charger or significantly decrease its performance. You’re responsible for installation, electricity, maintenance, and any damage to the surrounding area. If you submit an application and the association doesn’t respond in writing within 60 days, the application is automatically approved. An HOA that willfully violates the statute can be held liable for actual damages and a civil penalty of up to $1,000.12California Legislative Information. California Code CIV 4745
Charging Infrastructure in New Buildings
California’s CALGreen Building Standards Code requires new construction to include EV charging capability. These standards apply only to new construction and major renovations, not to existing buildings.
New one- and two-family homes with attached garages must be built with a raceway running from the main electrical panel to the proposed charger location, plus enough panel capacity and reserved breaker space for a 40-amp, 240-volt dedicated circuit. The home isn’t delivered with a charger installed. It’s delivered ready for one, so you can add a Level 2 unit without opening walls or upgrading the panel. If the builder installs the full branch circuit at construction, the separate raceway isn’t required.13Permit Sonoma. 2025-2026 California EV Charging Codes and Regulations
New apartment buildings, condominiums, and hotels face stricter rules. Forty percent of parking spaces must be “EV capable,” with panel capacity and conduit in place to support a low-power Level 2 charger. An additional 10% of parking spaces must have fully installed, ready-to-use Level 2 chargers.14Alternative Fuels Data Center. Electric Vehicle (EV) Charger Building Standards
Parking Rules at EV Charging Stalls
California Vehicle Code Section 22511 lets local governments and private parking facility operators designate specific stalls for EV charging. Section 22511.1 makes it illegal to park in or obstruct those stalls if your vehicle isn’t actually connected and charging, including for EV owners taking a break from charging.15California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22511.1
Vehicles parked in designated charging spaces without being plugged in can be towed at the owner’s expense after law enforcement is notified. Enforcement depends on posted signage of at least 17 by 22 inches stating that unauthorized vehicles will be towed and identifying where to reclaim the vehicle.16California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 22511
The Carpool Lane Decal Program Has Ended
For years, a Clean Air Vehicle decal from the DMV let you drive solo in California carpool lanes. That program is over. The federal Clean Air Vehicle Decal program terminated at midnight on September 30, 2025 under Section 166 of Title 23 of the United States Code. Starting October 1, 2025, all drivers must meet posted occupancy requirements to use HOV lanes.17California Department of Motor Vehicles. Clean Air Vehicle Decals Existing decals may still be on your bumper, but they carry no legal effect. If you bought your EV partly for solo carpool lane access, that benefit is gone.
Battery Durability Standards
Two layers of law protect the battery you’re buying. Federal EPA rules require batteries in light-duty EVs to retain at least 80% of their certified usable energy after 5 years or 62,000 miles, and at least 70% after 8 years or 100,000 miles.18eCFR. 40 CFR 86.1815-27 Battery-Related Requirements for Battery Electric Vehicles and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles California’s Advanced Clean Cars II rule goes further, requiring ZEVs sold in the state to maintain a high percentage of their original range for 10 years or 150,000 miles. When you compare EVs, check whether the manufacturer’s warranty matches or exceeds the California standard, since the state’s threshold reaches further than the federal floor.