- $25 fine for violation
- Takes effect July 1, 2022
- EV charging space must be clearly marked
- No violation unless the sign includes: “PENALTY, UP TO $25”
- Plug-in vehicle “that is not in the process of charging” violates the law
Virginia lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year that creates a prohibition and a civil penalty for certain vehicles parked in spaces reserved for charging electric vehicles. The law goes into effect today.
To be enforced, the Virginia “anti-ICEing” law requires that the parking space adjacent to an electric vehicle charging station be clearly marked as reserved for charging electric vehicles. Additionally, the sign indicating that the space is reserved for charging electric vehicles must include the following language: “PENALTY, UP TO $25.”
The highly-specific signage requirements detailed in many state and local anti-ICEing laws are often not understood by EV drivers. The police will not be able to enforce these laws, including in Virginia, if the charging space is not designated by signs that meet the criteria in the law. In other words, if there are no signs, there can be no fines.
I’ve learned from years of experience advocating for EV drivers that it is relatively easy to pass an anti-ICEing law. It’s a much greater challenge to convince EV charging operators and site hosts to post the special signs that allow the laws to be enforced.
Eight years ago, I approached my local County Council representative to propose an anti-ICEing ordinance. The Howard County, Maryland Council Bill 36-2014 subsequently passed and went into effect on September 29, 2014. That was the easy part.
The main reason I wanted the ordinance was because publicly-funded EV charging stations on property owned by the Columbia Association were chronically being blocked by gas vehicles. When I contacted Columbia Association, they said that they would not do anything about the problem unless there was a law against it.
After the Howard County ordinance passed, I approached the Columbia Association again to ask that they post enforceable signs. To make a long story short, it took another two years and a lot of effort to finally convince them to post enforceable signs. [Signs Posted at Columbia Association EV Charging Stations]
Colorado EV drivers worked to get a statewide anti-ICEing law passed in 2019. When Colorado HB 1298 passed, Tesla indicated their support for the legislation via the following Tweet.
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