When a network or operator runs chargers on your land, the permissions do not move as one block. Installation permits attach to the site, metering-for-sale duties attach to whoever sells the charging, and programme commitments attach to whoever signed for the funding. So “do I need a licence?” has a different answer for the landowner, the operator and the installer — and the agreement between them settles the split.
Key Takeaways
- Permissions follow roles: site duties to the owner, selling duties to the seller, programme duties to the grantee.
- The host–operator agreement is what allocates them — who files, who sells, who keeps records, what happens at exit.
- Both sides verify with documents, not assurances.
- If the operator fails, the site keeps the installation and its permissions — plan the exit before the opening.
Which Permission Sits With Which Role
| Permission or duty | Usually sits with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Land use, zoning and site permissions | The site owner, or the operator with the owner’s written consent | They run with the land and the use made of it |
| Electrical and building permits for the installation | Whoever commissions the work — filed by the licensed contractor | They approve a specific installation at a specific address |
| Utility connection and supply account | Whoever holds the supply account for the site | The connection contract names an account holder, and the bill follows it |
| Metering and weights-and-measures duties for selling by the kWh | The party that sells the charging to drivers | Selling by measure is the seller’s act, whoever owns the hardware |
| Business registration and tax on charging revenue | The selling entity | Revenue is taxed where it is earned and invoiced |
| Funding programme commitments — uptime, payment access, reporting | The grantee who signed the programme agreement | Programmes contract with a named party, on current terms |
The full approvals inventory for a single-party project is in our guide to charging station licenses, permits and approvals. This page covers what changes when the project is split between parties. It is general information, not legal advice.
What the Agreement Has to Allocate
An agreement that leaves the split unsaid leaves both parties exposed: an inspector, a funder or a driver with a complaint will look for the responsible party. The fields that carry the allocation are:
- Who files and who pays for each permit, connection and registration, including renewals.
- Who is the seller of record to drivers, so metering duties, receipts and tax sit with the right entity.
- Who keeps the records — session, metering and maintenance — and who may see them.
- What happens at exit: if the operator leaves or fails, which duties fall back to the site, and in what state the installation is left.
The Checks Each Side Runs
The site owner’s check is that the operator’s filings exist and name the right parties. The operator’s check is the mirror image: that the site permissions it relies on are real, and that the owner’s consent covers selling charging to the public, not just installing hardware. Both checks are documentary: ask for copies, not assurances. Where funding is involved, the programme manual states who may hold the commitment — find the current programme via a source such as the DSIRE database.
Hardware Is the Same Either Way
Role splits do not change the equipment list; they change who specifies, owns and answers for it. A station such as the EV-AC03201T dual-connector AC station — two Type 2 connectors sharing up to 43 kW, OCPP 1.6J, RFID, IP54 — meters and reports sessions to the operator’s platform whoever operates it; its touchscreen is a display, not a payment terminal. The EV-RHDC30K-L compact DC charger is specified the same way at 22 kW DC. What the parties must fix in writing is which of them the records belong to. Sites weighing an operator arrangement can start from our commercial EV charging range or contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
I’m only the landlord. Do I need any licence or permit myself?
Possibly for the site side: land use and the installation happen on your property, and authorities may look to the owner for them. The selling duties sit with the operator — but only if the agreement assigns them and the operator actually holds them. Confirm both halves in writing.
If the operator disappears, whose problem are the permits?
The site’s. Installation permissions remain at the address, and commitments signed by the failed operator do not transfer automatically. This is why the exit fields matter more than the opening ones.
Can one company hold everything?
Yes — when the site owner also operates and sells the charging, all the roles sit in one entity and the split disappears. The allocation question only arises when owner, operator and seller are different parties.
Related Reading
- How to Get an EV Charging Station License: Permits and Approvals
- How to Open an EV Charging Station: Step by Step
- Do You Need a Smart Meter for an EV Charger?
- Is an EV Charging Station Business Profitable?
