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Building Code Reference

Got a CEC 625.40 correction?

EV charger circuit

For builders in California, Greater Seattle, the Las Vegas area, the Denver area and Kansas City · CrossBeam Permits

What this code requires, how to fix it, and how cities and counties review it

What this code requires

CEC 625.40 requires electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) rated more than 16 amps or more than 120 volts to be supplied by an individual branch circuit, one that serves only that equipment. The next sections set the sizing: EV charging is treated as a continuous load (625.42), and the overcurrent protection must be at least 125 percent of the EVSE rating (625.41), so a 40-amp charger needs a 50-amp breaker. Section 625.43 adds a lockable disconnect for EVSE rated over 60 amps or over 150 volts to ground. The 2025 CEC adopts the 2023 NEC with California amendments. These rules affect any permit that includes EV charger installation: new construction, ADUs, panel upgrades and retrofits.

How to fix it

  1. Calculate the required circuit amperage

    Find the EVSE nameplate amperage (or the maximum input current from the spec sheet). Multiply by 1.25 to get the minimum overcurrent protection rating required by CEC 625.41, since 625.42 treats EV charging as a continuous load. Common examples: 16-amp EVSE requires a 20-amp circuit; 32-amp EVSE requires a 40-amp circuit; 40-amp EVSE requires a 50-amp circuit. Use this calculated value — not the charger's nameplate — when sizing the breaker and conductors. Document this calculation on the electrical plan or in a plan-check note; some jurisdictions require it shown explicitly.

  2. Show a dedicated circuit on the electrical plan

    The circuit serving the EVSE must be shown as dedicated — no other outlets, fixtures, or loads on the same circuit. On the electrical plan, label the homerun to the panel with the breaker size, wire gauge, and the note 'EVSE individual branch circuit per CEC 625.40.' If the existing electrical plan shows a shared circuit, revise the one-line diagram and the panel schedule before resubmitting. A circuit dedicated on paper but shared in the field will fail rough inspection.

  3. Specify correct conductor size

    Conductor size follows the circuit amperage, not the charger nameplate. For a 50-amp circuit (40-amp EVSE): 6 AWG copper in NM cable, which is sized from the 60°C column, or 8 AWG copper THHN/THWN in conduit where the breaker and EVSE terminals are rated 75°C; 4 AWG aluminum works if the terminations are rated for it. For a 40-amp circuit (32-amp EVSE): minimum 8 AWG copper. For a 20-amp circuit (16-amp EVSE): minimum 12 AWG copper. Call out the conductor gauge on the electrical plan. If conduit fill is a concern with larger-gauge wire, note the conduit size too — plan-checkers in many CA jurisdictions want to see conduit type and size for EV circuits.

  4. Show the disconnecting means on the plan

    CEC 625.43 requires a readily accessible disconnecting means, lockable in the open (off) position, for EVSE rated more than 60 amps or more than 150 volts to ground. If the EVSE manufacturer includes an integrated disconnect, call it out by name on the plan: 'disconnect integral to EVSE.' If using a separate disconnect switch, show its location relative to the EVSE on the floor plan or elevation, and if it is remote from the EVSE, note the plaque on the equipment that identifies where the disconnect is. This is the most commonly skipped callout — even when the hardware is right, omitting it on the plans gets you a corrections letter.

  5. Update the panel schedule and load calculation

    Add the new EVSE circuit to the panel schedule with breaker size, pole count (2-pole for a 240V EVSE circuit), and load in VA (EVSE amperage × 240V). Recalculate the total service load per CEC Article 220 to confirm the panel can carry the additional circuit. A 100-amp service already near capacity may not pass load calculation with a 50-amp EVSE circuit added. If the load calculation fails, your options are: (a) upgrade to 200-amp service, (b) specify a smart/load-managed EVSE that the panel schedule can show at reduced calculated load, or (c) install a load management device with a reduced demand allowance per your AHJ's policy.

  6. Verify EVSE listing and enclosure rating

    The EVSE must be listed (UL 2594 or equivalent) and rated for the installation location — indoor units are not rated for outdoor use. Outdoor EVSE requires a NEMA 3R or better enclosure. At a dwelling, an outdoor EVSE outlet on a single-phase circuit of 50 amps or less needs GFCI protection under CEC 210.8(F), whether it is a receptacle or hardwired; check with your AHJ for indoor units. Note the listing and enclosure rating on the equipment schedule. This detail is easy to miss and can cause a re-inspection flag even after corrections are cleared.

  7. Resubmit with a response-to-corrections letter

    When you resubmit, include a response-to-corrections document that calls out each Article 625 item by line number from the corrections letter and points to the revised sheet and detail number that addresses it. Plan-checkers who see a targeted response process resubmittals faster than those who have to hunt through revised sheets to confirm each fix. Label revised areas with a revision cloud and delta triangle with the resubmittal number.

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Why you got flagged

Here's why plan-checkers flag EV charger circuits under CEC 625.40: the most common cause is a shared circuit. Contractors sometimes tap an existing 20-amp general-purpose circuit in the garage and add the EVSE outlet, figuring the car won't be charging while other loads are running. Plan-checkers don't accept that logic. EVSE rated more than 16 amps or more than 120 volts needs an individual branch circuit, and the plan must show it. The one exception is a circuit feeding more than one EVSE whose loads are managed under 625.42(A) or (B).

The second-most-common flag is undersizing. CEC 625.41 requires overcurrent protection of at least 125 percent of the EVSE rating, so a Level 2 charger rated at 32 amps needs a 40-amp circuit (32 × 1.25 = 40). Plans that show a 40-amp charger on a 40-amp breaker fail, because that charger needs a 50-amp breaker and conductors with at least 50 amps of ampacity. Getting this math wrong on the panel schedule is one of the fastest ways to earn an EV circuit correction.

A third scenario: the disconnect. CEC 625.43 requires a readily accessible disconnecting means, lockable in the open position, for EVSE rated more than 60 amps or more than 150 volts to ground, and a plaque on the equipment showing where the disconnect is when it is installed remote from the EVSE. Plans for larger units that show no disconnect, or a remote one with no plaque, get flagged even when the circuit sizing is right. Often the contractor knows there's a disconnect on the unit itself but doesn't call it out on the electrical plan.

Panel capacity is the fourth trigger. Adding a 50-amp EVSE circuit to an already loaded 100-amp service can push the total calculated load over the service rating. Plan-checkers who catch the math will ask for the Article 220 load calculation, which includes the EVSE load under 220.57, and then for either a service upgrade or an energy management system that controls the EVSE as 625.42(A) allows.

The official code

2025 California Electrical Code (Title 24 Part 3), Article 625 Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System, Section 625.40

Read the source →

Common questions

Does CEC 625.40 require an individual circuit for a Level 1 EV charger?
Not always. CEC 625.40 requires an individual branch circuit for EVSE rated more than 16 amps or more than 120 volts. A 120-volt Level 1 cord set rated 16 amps or less is neither, so 625.40 does not require it to have its own circuit. The receptacle it plugs into still needs GFCI protection under 625.54, and the circuit still has to carry the charging load, which 625.42 treats as continuous. A 120-volt unit rated above 16 amps, or any 240-volt Level 2 unit, needs its own circuit with overcurrent protection of at least 125 percent of its rating under 625.41.
What wire gauge do I need for a 40-amp EV charger?
A 40-amp EVSE needs overcurrent protection of at least 50 amps under CEC 625.41 (40 × 1.25 = 50), and conductors with at least 50 amps of ampacity. In NM cable, which is sized from the 60°C column, that means 6 AWG copper. In conduit with THHN/THWN conductors, where the breaker and EVSE terminals are rated 75°C, 8 AWG copper is rated 50 amps. Long runs may need a larger size to limit voltage drop, so check the run length before you settle the gauge. Show the conductor gauge and type on the electrical plan; plan-checkers will check it against the breaker size.
Can I put two EV chargers on the same circuit?
Only with load management. CEC 625.40 requires an individual branch circuit for each EVSE rated more than 16 amps or 120 volts, but its exception lets one branch circuit supply more than one EVSE when the loads are managed by an energy management system in accordance with 625.42(A) or (B). Without that, two chargers sharing a circuit fail even if the combined load stays within the circuit rating. If you use a managed system, the plans should document the load management scheme and settings. Verify with your AHJ before specifying this arrangement; not all plan-checkers accept it without explicit documentation.
Does CALGreen 4.106.4 EV-capable raceway satisfy CEC 625.40?
No, not by itself. For new one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses with attached private garages, CALGreen 4.106.4.1 requires a listed raceway to accommodate a dedicated 208/240-volt branch circuit, plus panel capacity for a 40-amp minimum circuit and reserved breaker space. That roughs in the path for a future charger. When you install the EVSE, you still need the circuit wired and the breaker sized under 625.41, the load calculation updated, and any disconnect 625.43 requires shown on the plans.
My panel is full. Can I still add an EV charger?
You have three realistic options. First, upgrade the service; a 200-amp service often gives you headroom for a 50-amp EVSE circuit plus the existing load. Second, use an energy management system that controls the EVSE, which 625.42(A) recognizes. Some AHJs let you carry the EVSE at its managed load in the load calculation when the listed system is shown on the plans. Third, remove or consolidate existing circuits to free up capacity. Whichever route you take, the updated Article 220 load calculation must show the service stays within its rating with the EVSE circuit added.
Does a hardwired Level 2 charger need a separate disconnect?
It depends on the rating. CEC 625.43 requires a readily accessible disconnecting means, lockable in the open position, for EVSE rated more than 60 amps or more than 150 volts to ground. If that disconnect is installed remote from the EVSE, a plaque on the equipment must say where it is. For a unit at or below those ratings, 625.43 does not add a separate disconnect, but some AHJs still ask for one, so check local policy. Where one is required, note on the plans whether it is integral to the EVSE or a separate switch, and show its location. Omitting it is a common first-attempt correction even when the rest of the circuit is sized correctly.

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