Do You Need a Permit for an EV Charger? Fresno & Clovis Rules, Explained

Why EV chargers are permitted work

An EV charger is the hardest-working circuit in a modern home: it pulls its full rated current for hours at a stretch, often all night, unattended. The National Electrical Code treats it as a continuous load and requires a proper load calculation on your service. The permit is how the city verifies that math happened — and the inspection is how it's proven in your actual panel, not just on paper.

• Safety: the load calculation is what keeps a 100-amp panel from quietly overheating
• Insurance: unpermitted electrical work is a common claim-denial reason after a fire
• Resale: permitted work is a documented asset; undocumented work is a disclosure problem
• The charger warranty and most incentive programs assume a code-compliant install

City notes

• Fresno: electrical permit through the city's Development Services; expedited EV-charging review is the norm for standard circuits
• Clovis: permit through the Building Inspection / Development Services division; same-day counter issuance is common for a single circuit
• Madera & the county areas: city building division inside city limits; Fresno or Madera County permits for unincorporated addresses — we route it correctly either way
• Panel & service upgrades anywhere: add PG&E coordination for the meter work; we schedule it so the outage window is hours, not days

Every city we serve, by permit office

City	Permit office	Good to know
Fresno	City of Fresno Building and Safety Services Division	Expedited EV-charging review is the norm for standard circuits; permits run through the city's online portal.
Clovis	City of Clovis Building Division	Counter issuance the same day is common for a single circuit.
Madera	City of Madera Building Division	Runs an expedited permitting process specifically for EV charging stations.
Selma	City of Selma Building Division	Electrical permit and final inspection for a new 240V circuit — we file and schedule both.
Sanger	City of Sanger Building Division	Electrical permit and final inspection for a new 240V circuit — we file and schedule both.
Reedley	City of Reedley Building Division	Electrical permit and final inspection for a new 240V circuit — we file and schedule both.
Fowler	City of Fowler Planning Department	Permits are handled at City Hall — a small counter, no portal queue.
Kerman	City of Kerman Building Division	Unincorporated addresses just outside town permit through Fresno County instead — we route it.
Kingsburg	City of Kingsburg Building Department	Electrical permit and final inspection for a new 240V circuit — we file and schedule both.
Visalia	City of Visalia Building Division	Unincorporated addresses permit through Tulare County. SCE territory — no PG&E coordination on meter work.
Tulare	City of Tulare Building Division	SCE territory — no PG&E coordination on meter work.
Hanford	City of Hanford Building Division	Kings County seat; unincorporated addresses permit through Kings County.
Merced	City of Merced Development Services	Unincorporated addresses permit through Merced County.
Dinuba	City of Dinuba Building Division	Electrical permit and final inspection for a new 240V circuit — we file and schedule both.
Chowchilla	City of Chowchilla Building Division	Unincorporated addresses permit through Madera County.
Lemoore	City of Lemoore Building Division	Unincorporated addresses permit through Kings County.
Exeter	City of Exeter Planning Division	Permit center at City Hall. SCE territory.
Porterville	City of Porterville Building Division	Unincorporated addresses permit through Tulare County. SCE territory.
Farmersville	City of Farmersville Building Division	The city contracts plan check and inspection to the Tulare County Building Department. SCE territory.
Woodlake	City of Woodlake Building Division	SCE territory — no PG&E coordination on meter work.
Lindsay	City of Lindsay Building Department	SCE territory — no PG&E coordination on meter work.

The one honest "maybe not": plugging a charger into an existing, permitted 240V outlet needs no new permit — that's using an outlet, not building a circuit. But have the circuit verified under load first; an old dryer receptacle isn't automatically EV-ready.