Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) arrows logo
Resources > Policy Statements

Regulatory Signs for Electric Vehicle Charging and Parking Facilities

PDF Version, 6.8MB
PDF files can be viewed with the Acrobat® Reader®.

Please note the date of the Interim Approval dated April 1, 2012 in the Memorandum is incorrect. The correct date of the Interim Approval is April 1, 2011.


DOT Trisk Symbol Memorandum
U.S. Department
of Transportation
Federal Highway
Administration
Subject: INFORMATION: Regulatory Signs for Electric Vehicle Charging and Parking Facilities Date: June 17, 2013
From: Jeffrey A. Lindley /s/Jeffrey A. Lindley
Associate Administrator for Operations
 In Reply Refer To: HOTO-1
To: Division Administrators
Directors of Field Services
Director of Technical Services
Resource Center Director
 empty cell empty cell

A number of agencies are installing electric vehicle charging facilities at on-street parking locations as electric vehicles become more prevalent in the vehicle fleet. Due to variations in local regulations, and the lack of standard signing for such a condition in the current Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD), there are extreme variations in the legends and formats of the official traffic signs being installed.

While signs with word legends not currently in the MUTCD are allowed to be developed by transportation agencies without the need for official experimentation under the MUTCD provisions, this Policy is intended to promote a level of uniformity among the regulatory signing for on-street electric vehicle charging and parking sites. The Federal Highway Administration intends to include standard regulatory signing for this purpose in the next Notice of Proposed Amendment to the MUTCD. Until such time as a proposal is published, the signs and optional plaques detailed in the attached are recommended for use at on-street electric vehicle charging and parking sites. The optional plaques address variations in local regulations where posting of those regulations is required.

To date, no symbol has been developed that can effectively convey regulations associated with electric vehicle charging or parking facilities, including the Electric Vehicle Charging symbols specified for use on a General Service directional sign found in the MUTCD and the Interim Approval dated April 1, 2012. Symbols that have not been adopted in the MUTCD for use in a specific application cannot be used in untested applications without approved official experimentation that includes the requisite human factors evaluation for comprehension and legibility. Accordingly, regulatory signs for electric vehicles and vehicle charging facilities display only word legends to convey the specific requirements or restrictions.

Please share this information with State and local transportation agencies. For more information or questions regarding this matter, please contact Mr. Kevin Sylvester, Office of Transportation Operations, at Kevin.Sylvester@dot.gov.

Attachments

PDF Version, 7.1MB

Figure 1.
R7-111
NO PARKING EXCEPT ELECTRIC VEHICLES

This sheet shows the design and fabrication details, including dimensions, for the parking prohibition sign (R7-111) displaying the word legend "NO PARKING EXCEPT ELECTRIC VEHICLES."

Figure 2.
R7-111a
NO PARKING EXCEPT ELECTRIC VEHICLES (PART-TIME)

This sheet shows the design and fabrication details, including dimensions, for the parking prohibition sign (R7-111a) displaying the word legend "NO PARKING 7AM-7PM EXCEPT ELECTRIC VEHICLES."

Figure 3.
R7-112
ELECTRIC VEHICLE PARKING (TIME LIMIT)

This sheet shows the design and fabrication details, including dimensions, for the parking restriction sign (R7-112) displaying the word legend "2 HR PARKING ELECTRIC VEHICLES ONLY."

Figure 4.
R7-112a
ELECTRIC VEHICLE PARKING (TIME LIMIT, PART-TIME)

This sheet shows the design and fabrication details, including dimensions, for the parking restriction sign (R7-112a) displaying the word legend "2 HR PARKING ELECTRIC VEHICLES ONLY 7AM-8:30PM."

Figure 5.
R7-112b
ELECTRIC VEHICLE PARKING (TIME LIMIT, PART-TIME)

This sheet shows the design and fabrication details, including dimensions, for the parking restriction sign (R7-112b) displaying the word legend "2 HR PARKING ELECTRIC VEHICLES ONLY 7AM-8:30PM MON-SAT."

Figure 6.
R7-113
NO PARKING EXCEPT WHILE CHARGING

This sheet shows the design and fabrication details, including dimensions, for the parking prohibition sign (R7-113) displaying the word legend "NO PARKING EXCEPT WHILE CHARGING."

Figure 7.
R7-113bP
VEHICLE MUST BE PLUGGED IN (Plaque)
VACATE STALL WHEN CHARGING COMPLETED (Plaque)

This sheet shows the design and fabrication details, including dimensions, for the regulatory plaques (R7-113aP and R7-113bP) displaying the word legends "VEHICLE MUST BE PLUGGED IN" and "VACATE STALL WHEN CHARGING COMPLETED."

Figure 8.
R7-114
VEHICLE CHARGING ONLY (TIME LIMIT)

This sheet shows the design and fabrication details, including dimensions, for the vehicle charging restriction sign (R7-114) displaying the word legend "2 HR VEHICLE CHARGING ONLY."

Figure 9.
R7-114a
VEHICLE CHARGING ONLY (TIME LIMIT, PART-TIME)

This sheet shows the design and fabrication details, including dimensions, for the vehicle charging restriction sign (R7-114a) displaying the word legend "45 MIN VEHICLE CHARGING ONLY 7AM-10PM."

Figure 10.
R7-114b
VEHICLE CHARGING ONLY (TIME LIMIT, PART-TIME)

This sheet shows the design and fabrication details, including dimensions, for the vehicle charging restriction sign (R7-114b) displaying the word legend "45 MIN VEHICLE CHARGING ONLY 7AM-10PM MON-FRI."