EV-ready requirements for new Maryland homes.

This guide is for builders, general contractors and anyone building a new house in Harford County, Baltimore County or Baltimore City. It explains what Maryland's EV-ready law requires, what each option means on site, and how to plan it so it doesn't hold up a rough-in inspection. If you need a sub to price it, our electrical subcontracting for builders page explains how we work with trade partners, and the homeowner side is covered on our EV charger installation page.

What the law requires

House Bill 830 (2023) rewrote section 12-205 of the Public Safety Article. For new housing units that include a separate garage, carport or driveway for each unit, the construction has to include, in or on that garage, carport or driveway, one of:

• One EVSE-installed parking space capable of at least Level 2 charging, or
• One EV-ready parking space.

Before HB 830, the builder only had to offer buyers an EV option. Now one of the two has to be built in. Both Charles County and Washington County describe the requirement as one EVSE-installed space or one EV-ready space, and the county notices are linked at the end of this guide.

Which homes it covers

The bill defines housing units as:

• Single-family detached houses
• Duplexes
• Town houses subject to the International Residential Code

The garage, carport or driveway test is what triggers it: each unit needs its own. Buildings with shared parking and no per-unit garage or driveway are handled differently, and are outside the scope of this guide.

When it applies

The law took effect October 1, 2023, and applies only going forward. It doesn't reach construction where a building permit or development application was filed, or a complete service request made to the utility, before that date. Charles County's notice applies it to all permit applications made on or after October 1, 2023.

The definitions, side by side

EV-ready or EVSE-installed: which to build

EV-ready

The simpler option for most spec and production homes. You set a 40-amp, 208/240-volt circuit and a NEMA 14-50R receptacle at the garage, carport or driveway, and leave the charger choice to the buyer. The buyer can plug in a portable or wall-mounted plug-in charger on day one. The panel has to have the capacity for that circuit, so it belongs in the load calculation from the start.

EVSE-installed

A charger fully installed from the panel to the parking space. It suits custom homes where the owner already knows what they drive and wants a hardwired charger, or where a hardwired unit makes more sense outdoors. It also means the owner isn't relying on a receptacle that will carry a heavy load for hours at a time.

Planning it at rough-in

1. Size the service with the EV circuit in it. Count the 40-amp circuit in the load calculation along with heat pumps, cooking and anything else on the plans, so it isn't squeezed in later.
2. Pick the parking space early. Mark the receptacle or charger location on the plans so the home run from the panel is short and clean.
3. Follow the code edition in force. Harford County and Baltimore County enforce the 2023 NEC, and Baltimore City the 2020 NEC with its own amendments. Both editions require GFCI protection on 240-volt receptacles in a dwelling's garage, and NEC Article 625 sizes EV charging circuits for continuous duty at 125% of the charger's maximum load, so a 40-amp circuit supports a charger set to 32 amps. See which NEC applies in Maryland.
4. Put it on the permit. The EV circuit is part of the electrical permit and is inspected with the rest of the house. Our guide to electrical permits in Harford, Baltimore County and Baltimore City covers who can pull one in each jurisdiction.
5. Tell the buyer what they have. A labeled breaker and a note in the closing packet save a service call when they bring an EV home.

What it means for the buyer

An EV-ready garage means the expensive part of a charger install, the circuit from the panel, is already done. If the buyer later adds a Level 2 charger, the Maryland Energy Administration's FY2027 rebate pays 50% of eligible costs up to $700, applied for after the charger is installed and paid for. Our Maryland EV charger rebate guide has the rules. The federal 30C charger credit is no longer available for chargers placed in service after June 30, 2026; see why the EV charger tax credit ended.

Working with us

Wyatt Electric has wired custom homes in Harford County, Baltimore County and Baltimore City since 1986, with 4 Master Electricians on staff. We build the HB 830 space into the scope from the takeoff, along with the service size, Lutron prewire if you want it, and every inspection through final. Send plans and your bid date through our bid request form, and see our new construction electrical for builders page for the full scope.