2026-09-12 · Maine · Compliance

What happened. Maine's right-to-charge statute, 33 M.R.S. § 576-A, has been in force since 1 January 2026. It was enacted as LD 1133 — An Act to Allow Electric Vehicle Charging Stations by Condominium and Residential Associations, sponsored by Senator Mike Tipping of Penobscot — and signed by Governor Mills on 12 June 2025 as Public Law 2025, chapter 280.¹

Two features make it sharper than boards tend to expect. A missed deadline is an approval, and the loser of any enforcement fight pays the winner's legal fees.

What is void as of 1 January 2026

“2. Unenforceable provisions. Beginning January 1, 2026, any provision of a declaration or bylaw that either prohibits or places an unreasonable restriction on the installation or use of an electric vehicle charging station in a unit parking space or limited common element parking space or is otherwise in conflict with the provisions of this section is void and unenforceable.”

“Unreasonable restriction” is defined, and the definition is about effect rather than intent:

“H. ‘Unreasonable restriction’ means a restriction that significantly increases the cost of the electric vehicle charging station or significantly decreases its efficiency or specified performance.”

Note where the statute sits. It is not inside the Maine Condominium Act at Title 33, chapter 31. It is a freestanding section reaching any association of unit owners in a common interest community, borrowing the broad definition at Title 38, § 3002(3) — so it reaches further than the Condominium Act does, into communities Maine otherwise leaves entirely to their covenants.

The clock

“The executive board shall acknowledge, in writing, the receipt of an application not later than 30 days after receipt of the application and process the application in the same manner as an application for an addition, alteration or improvement pursuant to the declaration or bylaws. The approval or denial of the application must be in writing and must be issued not later than 60 days after the date of receipt of the application. Unless the executive board reasonably requests additional information not later than 60 days from the date of receipt of the application, the application is deemed approved if a denial in writing has not been received within 60 days…”

30 days to acknowledge in writing. 60 days to approve or deny in writing. Silence at day 61 is a yes.

1. 33 M.R.S. § 576-A, Electric vehicle charging stations allowed (enacted by P.L. 2025, c. 280) ↩
2. LD 1133 (S.P. 457), An Act to Allow Electric Vehicle Charging Stations by Condominium and Residential Associations — bill status, 132nd Maine Legislature ↩
3. Maine Bureau of Insurance, Bulletin 485, 2025 Legislative Changes Affecting Insurance in Maine (25 July 2025) ↩