The 10 Most Common ADA Parking Violations (and Fixes)

The Violations That Show Up Again and Again

Inspect enough parking lots and the same problems keep appearing. ADA violations are rarely exotic. They are the predictable result of lots that were striped years ago, drifted out of compliance, and never got corrected. The good news is that because the violations are predictable, so are the fixes. Most are striping and signage work.

This is a working checklist of the 10 violations that auditors and plaintiffs find most often, each paired with the correction. Walk your lot against it. For the underlying standard behind each item, our ADA parking compliance guide for Oregon is the reference, and a formal ADA compliance audit process confirms what your lot actually needs.

1. Faded Pavement Symbols

The International Symbol of Accessibility painted on the stall fades under Oregon's UV and rain faster than owners expect. A symbol worn to a faint outline reads as non-compliant and is one of the easiest violations to photograph.

Fix: Repaint the symbol during a restripe on a clean surface. A fresh sealcoat underneath improves contrast and bond.

2. Signs Mounted Too Low

Accessible parking signs must be mounted at least 60 inches above the ground, measured to the bottom of the sign. Signs installed at 48 or 54 inches, or knocked down to a lower height, are a frequent and measurable violation.

Fix: Reset or replace the post so the bottom of the sign sits at 60 inches minimum. Our ADA parking signage and mounting page covers the full mounting spec.

3. Missing Van-Accessible Designation

Van-accessible spaces need an additional "Van Accessible" sign below the accessibility symbol. Lots often have the right number of accessible spaces but never designated the van space, or the designation faded or was removed.

Fix: Add the "Van Accessible" plate to the required number of spaces. At least one in six accessible spaces, rounded up, must be van-accessible.

4. Too Few Accessible Spaces

A lot that grew, or was never counted correctly, ends up short on accessible spaces for its capacity. This is purely a count problem and it is the first thing an auditor checks.

Fix: Recalculate the count against the lot's total capacity and add accessible spaces during a restripe. The count scales by tier, roughly one accessible space per 25 total up to 1,000.

5. Too Few Van-Accessible Spaces

Separate from the total count, the van ratio trips up older lots. The 1-in-6 rule means a lot with seven accessible spaces needs two van spaces, but many older lots have only one regardless of size.

Fix: Convert or add van-accessible spaces until the 1-in-6 ratio is met, rounding up.

6. Unmarked or Faded Access Aisles

The hatched aisle beside each accessible space is essential, but it is frequently missing its diagonal hatching, its NO PARKING text, or has faded to the point that drivers treat it as open pavement.

Fix: Restripe the aisle with full diagonal hatching, border lines, and NO PARKING text, per our ADA access aisle striping spec.

7. Access Aisles Too Narrow

A standard accessible space needs a 5-foot aisle; a van space needs an 8-foot aisle (or the 11-foot space option). Lots squeezed for space often shave the aisle below the minimum.

Fix: Re-lay the layout so the aisle meets the required width for the space it serves. This may mean reclaiming width from an adjacent standard stall.

8. Slope Over 2 Percent

Accessible spaces and aisles must not exceed 2 percent slope in any direction. Settling, soil movement, and freeze-thaw push originally compliant slopes out of tolerance over the years, and the violation is invisible until measured.

Fix: Survey the slope, then correct the grade through grinding, build-up, or repaving. Slope is the one violation a restripe alone cannot fix.

9. Broken Accessible Route

The path from the accessible space to the building entrance must be continuous and accessible, with curb ramps where needed, no abrupt level changes, and no obstructions. A route that dead-ends at a curb or forces a detour is a violation even if the spaces are perfect.

Fix: Establish or repair a continuous accessible route, including curb ramps and detectable warnings where required.

10. Blocked Access Aisles and Spaces

Cart corrals, snow piles, landscape debris, delivery staging, and signage placed in or overlapping an access aisle defeat its purpose. The markings can be perfect, but a blocked aisle is still non-compliant in practice.

Fix: Relocate cart corrals and obstructions away from accessible spaces and aisles, and establish a practice of keeping them clear year-round.

How to Use This Checklist

These 10 cover the large majority of what gets cited. Most lots have a handful, not all 10, and most are correctable in a single striping-and-signage project. The two that need more than paint are slope (which needs grading) and the accessible route (which may need ramp work). Everything else is a restripe.

The reliable way to know which of these your lot has is to measure, not eyeball, since slope and dimensions are not visible to the naked eye. This is general guidance, and a site survey confirms the specifics for your lot. Catching these before a plaintiff or building official does is the entire point of a proactive review.