HB 883: Commerce and trade; standards for display of electricity dispensed by electric vehicle charging stations; revise and provide

Georgia already regulates electric vehicle charging stations under the Department of Agriculture, but this bill rewrites those rules in more detail. Stations that charge drivers money must accurately measure and display how much electricity (in kilowatt-hours) they deliver, and any station installed after January 1, 2026 must meet that standard regardless of whether it charges a fee. Free stations that use alternating current and were operating before January 1, 2026 only need to show when a car has received a full charge. The bill also creates a formal annual registration and fee system with the Commissioner of Agriculture: $250 a year for paid charging stations and $50 for the free, pre-2026 alternating current stations. It gives the Commissioner power to seek a court injunction against stations that consistently deliver inaccurate measurements, and lets inspectors immediately condemn unsafe stations. Finally, it exempts free, pre-2026 alternating current charging stations from Georgia's motor fuel excise tax. The changes would take effect January 1, 2026.

• Requires all paid electric vehicle charging stations, and all stations installed on or after January 1, 2026 regardless of payment, to accurately measure and display electricity delivered per kilowatt-hour.
• Sets a lighter standard for free alternating-current stations already operating before January 1, 2026: they only need to show when a vehicle has received its needed charge.
• Creates an annual registration system with the Department of Agriculture, requiring station location, payment status, start date, manufacturer information, and a compliance certification.
• Sets annual registration fees of $250 for paid charging stations and $50 for qualifying free, pre-2026 stations.
• Gives the Commissioner of Agriculture authority to seek a superior court injunction against providers whose stations keep delivering inaccurate electricity measurements.
• Allows inspectors to immediately condemn and disable unsafe charging stations and exempts qualifying free, pre-2026 alternating current stations from the state motor fuel excise tax.

Owners and operators of electric vehicle charging stations across Georgia, including businesses, retailers, and property owners who install them; the Department of Agriculture and its inspectors, who register and inspect stations; the Department of Revenue, which handles motor fuel tax exemptions; and electric vehicle drivers who rely on accurate charge measurements.

Drivers paying to charge electric vehicles would get stronger guarantees that meters are accurate, backed by state inspections and a court injunction option for repeated problems. Charging station operators would face new registration paperwork, fees, and the risk of having unsafe equipment shut down immediately by inspectors.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 10-1-222 to require accurate per-kilowatt-hour measurement and display for paid stations and all stations built after January 1, 2026, while giving older free AC stations a lighter display requirement.
• Section 1 also sets annual registration fees: $250 for paid stations and $50 for qualifying free pre-2026 AC stations, plus expanded registration information requirements.
• Section 2 revises O.C.G.A. § 10-1-224 to let the Commissioner seek a superior court injunction against providers whose stations repeatedly give inaccurate measurements after notice.
• Section 2 also authorizes inspectors to immediately condemn and render inoperable any charging station found unsafe under Commissioner regulations, following the same probate court forfeiture process used for inaccurate stations.
• Section 3 amends the motor fuel tax definitions in O.C.G.A. § 48-9-2 to exclude free, pre-2026 alternating current charging stations from being treated as motor fuel sellers.
• Section 4 amends O.C.G.A. § 48-9-3 to exempt electricity dispensed by qualifying free, pre-2026 alternating current stations from the state motor fuel excise tax.
• Section 5 sets the effective date of the Act as January 1, 2026.

1. 2025-04-04House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-04-02House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-03-31House Hopper (House)

• Rick Jasperse (R, HD-11)Primary sponsor

• electric vehicle charging
• consumer protection
• motor fuel tax
• Department of Agriculture regulation
• utility metering