About This Towson Home Charging Guide

This site is not an electrical contractor. Installs are performed by independent electricians licensed in Maryland. The guides help you ask good questions and spot a good install.

Towson has no city or town government. The Baltimore County Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections (PAI) handles electrical permits. Its office is in the County Office Building at 111 West Chesapeake Avenue in Towson, and it takes applications online.

Only a licensed electrical contractor registered with Baltimore County can apply for an electrical permit. Working without a permit can bring a $1,000 civil penalty. The permits and inspections guide walks through the process.

The housing stock shapes nearly every charger job. Rodgers Forge has brick rowhouses built from about 1931 to 1957. Anneslie has about 500 homes built from 1922 to 1961, including bungalows, Foursquares, Tudors and Capes. Ruxton and Riderwood have large older homes on wooded lots.

Farther north, Cockeysville grew from the 1950s with single-family homes and apartments. Hunt Valley has newer townhomes and condos from the 2000s. Older homes often have smaller panels and longer runs to parking. Newer townhomes often raise HOA questions. See Rodgers Forge and Anneslie for a close look at rowhouse charging.

A good install starts with a load calculation to confirm the panel can carry the charger. The circuit is sized for a continuous load, at 125% of the charger's current. A 48-amp charger, for example, needs a 60-amp circuit.

• A Baltimore County permit and a passed inspection
• A dedicated 240-volt circuit sized for the charger
• GFCI protection rules in the NEC applied; your electrician confirms what your setup needs
• Outdoor parts in a NEMA 3R or similar weather-resistant enclosure
• A written quote before work starts

In Baltimore County, there are two layers. First, the electrician needs a Master Electrician license from the Maryland State Board of Electricians, part of the Maryland Department of Labor. Second, the county requires a Master General Electrical Registration through its Electrical Administrative Board. That registration requires a current State Master General license. A state license alone is not enough to pull a county permit.

A real license shows the holder's name, the license number, the expiration date and the license type. Ask for the number, then check it on the licensing board's free public lookup on the Maryland Department of Labor website. Make sure the name is the person or company you plan to hire and the license has not expired.

You may also hear about EVITP certification. It is a training credential for EV charger installers that some electricians hold. It does not replace a state license or county registration.