ADA Parking for Oregon Gas Stations & C-Stores

Small Lot, Same Obligation

Gas stations and convenience stores have small parking lots, and small-lot owners sometimes assume the accessible-parking rules are for the big-box stores down the road. They are not. The accessible-parking count table starts at the very first space: a lot with one to 25 spaces still needs one accessible space, and that space still needs to be van-accessible. A tiny lot does not get a pass.

This page covers ADA parking for Oregon gas stations and convenience stores, where the count is small but the pump islands, the fuel canopy, and the route to the store door add their own twists. The general standard is in our ADA parking compliance guide for Oregon.

The Minimum That Still Applies

The count table's first tier is the one most gas stations live in. For a lot with one to 25 parking spaces, the requirement is one accessible space, and because of the one-in-six van rule, that single accessible space must be van-accessible. Our accessible parking count requirements page has the full table.

A common error at small fuel-and-convenience sites is having no designated accessible parking at all, on the theory that the lot is too small to need it, or having an accessible space that is not van-accessible. Both are violations. Even the smallest c-store lot needs that one properly dimensioned, van-accessible space with its 8-foot access aisle, sign, and pavement symbol. The dimensions are in our ADA parking stall dimensions page.

Pump Islands Are Not Parking

A frequent point of confusion: the fueling positions at the pumps are not parking spaces and do not count toward the parking total or satisfy the accessible-parking requirement. The accessible space serves the convenience store, where a customer parks to go inside, separate from the act of fueling.

That said, fuel dispensers have their own accessibility considerations. Where a station has a convenience store and fueling, a customer with a disability who cannot operate the pump independently may need assistance, and stations are generally expected to provide refueling assistance on request, often via a call button. The accessible parking serves the store; the pump accessibility is a related but distinct obligation focused on the dispenser controls and the ability to get help.

The Route Around the Canopy

Gas station site layouts are tight and dominated by the fuel canopy and pump islands, which complicates the accessible route. The accessible parking space has to connect to the store entrance over a continuous accessible route, and that route often has to navigate around the pump islands and across the area where vehicles maneuver to the pumps. Our ADA accessible route to the door page covers route requirements.

The hazard at a fuel site is that the route can be forced through active vehicle-circulation areas. A well-designed layout keeps the accessible space and route clear of the pump-maneuvering zone as much as possible, with the route reaching the store door without making a person cross directly through fueling traffic. On small sites, this takes deliberate placement of the accessible space, not just dropping it wherever a space fits.

Small Sites Get Noticed Too

It is easy to assume a small gas station flies under the radar on accessibility, but the opposite can be true. Fuel-and-convenience sites are high-traffic, located on busy corridors, and visible from the road. The missing accessible space or the faded symbol at a c-store is seen by a lot of passing drivers, and the violations, no designated space, no van designation, a blocked route, are the visible kind that draw drive-by attention.

The fixes are small and inexpensive precisely because the lot is small: one properly striped van-accessible space, a sign at the right height, a clear route to the door. For a small operator, that is a modest, one-time job that removes the exposure.

A Practical Checklist for Fuel Sites

For an Oregon gas station or c-store owner:

• Provide at least one van-accessible space, even if the lot is tiny
• Stripe it to full dimensions with the 8-foot access aisle, sign, and pavement symbol
• Keep the pump islands separate in your thinking; they do not satisfy the parking requirement
• Route the accessible path to the store door without forcing a person through fueling traffic
• Provide refueling assistance on request, since pump accessibility is its own obligation

This is general guidance, and your site's specific count, placement, and route depend on its layout, which a survey confirms. Fuel-site geometry is tight enough that placement deserves a careful look.