Electric Vehicle Charging

Larimer County Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging 

As of December 8, 2025, Larimer County has updated its permitting process for Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations to align with State mandates and support Colorado’s electric vehicle infrastructure goals. This guide will help you understand the new standards and determine which permits are required for your project.

Background: Why We Made Changes

Larimer County updated the Land Use Code to comply with the Electric Vehicle Charging System Permits Law (House Bill 24-1173), which went into effect on August 7, 2024.

The Goal: The State of Colorado’s 2023 Electric Vehicle Plan estimates that the state needs approximately 7,500 additional EV charging ports by 2025. While Larimer County already has standards for residential (Level 1 and 2) chargers, the new state law requires counties with populations over 20,000 to adopt specific standards for Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) stations.

What This Means for You: These changes are designed to make the process:

  • Streamlined: Faster application reviews for public charging projects.
  • Transparent: Clearer rules on what is allowed in each zoning district.
  • Consistent: Aligned with a State Model EV Code to ensure predictability for applicants.

Larimer County Planning staff worked with the Building Department and the Office of Sustainability and Climate to adapt these state requirements to our local needs.

  Expand All   Collapse All
Project TypeLand Use ProcessBuilding PermitElectrical Permit
“Level 1 Charging”: Slow charging that provides about 1-2 kW of power per hour and uses a 120V outlet.NoNoMaybe
“Level 2 Charging”: Mid-speed charging that provides about 7-19 kW of power per hour and uses a 240V outlet.NoMaybeMaybe
“Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC)”: High-speed charging that provides about 50-350+ kW of power per hour and uses a 480V three-phase outlet.YesYesYes

 You may contact the Larimer County Building Division at (970) 498-7700 or building@larimer.org for further information.

 

 Common Level 2 Charging Types and Required Permits

LocationElectrical ImprovementsPermits Required
Single unit residence with 240v outlet at charging locationNo new electrical wiring or equipment is neededNone
Single unit residence without 240v outlet at charging locationNew electrical wiring and outlet are necessary.Electrical
Multi-unit residence or commercial building parking New electrical wiring, electrical outlets, and dedicated charging stations may be necessary. Building (if within a parking structure, but not for surface parking lots) and Electrical
Commercial or government vehicle fleet depotsNew electrical wiring, electrical outlets, and dedicated charging stations are necessary. May involve trenching and/or boring.Building and Electrical
Publicly accessible charging stations located in commercial or government parking lots New electrical wiring, electrical outlets, and dedicated charging stations are necessary. May involve trenching and/or boring.Building and Electrical

The installation of new Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) charging requires a land use process, and both building and electrical permits. 

Are there different land use processes for different types of DCFC charging?

Yes, the Larimer County Land Use Code regulates DCFC charging differently depending on the project type and the zone district where it is proposed. Administrative review means that Planning Department staff review a Site Plan or Administrative Special Review application and decide to approve or deny it based on the standards in the land use code. Conditional review means that Planning Department staff review a Special Review application and make a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners, who decide to approve or deny the application. 

Project Type

Administrative Review

Conditional Review

Accessory Use EV Charging Project:

DCFC Charging Stations and Equipment that are incidental and subordinate to the Primary Use on the Subject Property.

Permitted as an Accessory Use in all zoning districts except for EV RE-1, EV RE, EV E-1, EV E, and EV R. Permitted as an Accessory Use in all zoning districts except for EV RE-1, EV RE, EV E-1, EV E, and EV R.N/A

Primary Use EV Charging Project: 

DCFC EV Charging Stations and Equipment that serves as the primary function and land use on the Subject Property.

Site Plan

ACE, RC, CF, UR-3, MR, MU-C, CC, CN, CD, IL, IH.

Admin Special Review:

EV A, EV CO, EV O, EV I-1, EV RM.

Special Review: 

NR, FO, A, IR, UR-2, MHP, MHP-P, MU-N, and AP                               

Table 4. EV Charging Project Application and Review Process

Step[Planning Department]Permit ApplicantsEstimated Duration
Pre-applicationProvide information to potential applicants at pre-application meetingSchedule and attend pre-application meeting with the Planning Division.  
Permit application submittal Submit application to the Planning Division. 
Completeness reviewDetermine if applications include all required elementsIf necessary, revise applications to include missing elements and resubmit 
Staff reviewDetermine applicable permitting process and project conformance with zoning code standards  
Referral processSend application for review by internal and external referral agencies  
Staff recommendationBased on review of applicable standards and referral agency comments, staff moves the application to a final decision, or requests that applicants revise and resubmit  
Decision (for administrative review)The [Planning department] director approves or denies the application.   
Decision (for conditional review)

The [decision making body] approves or denies the application

 

Applicants present to zoning board and at public hearing 

Please refer to the applicable submittal packet, which includes a list of all materials required to be submitted with an application.

The Planning Division will consider if your proposed project conforms with the standards of the Larimer County Land Use Code. The specific parts of the Larimer County Land Use Code that apply to EV Charging Projects include:

Table 5. Accessory Use EV Charging Project Standards

Larimer County Land Use Code Section ReferenceType of StandardSummary of Standard
[e.g. Article 7, Section 5.4.3)[e.g. property line setbacks][e.g. EV Charging Stations and Equipment are not allowed within property line setbacks.]

Table 6. Primary Use EV Charging Project Standards

[land use code name] Section ReferenceStandard TopicStandard Summary
[...][...][...]

Application fees can be found on our website here (link).

Please contact the Planning Division at 970-498-7679 or planning@larimer.org, or visit us in person on the 3rd Floor of 200 W Oak Street, Fort Collins between 8am-4pm on Monday-Friday. 

Building Permits

[include information on the building permit process for DCFC projects]

Electrical Permits

[include information on the electrical permit process for DCFC projects]