Parking Lot
ADA Parking Lot Compliance in Jefferson, Oregon: 2026 Guide
Cojo
May 30, 2026
7 min read
Jefferson sits along the North Santiam River in southern Marion County, a small farming community at the crossroads of Highway 99E and the rural roads that feed the mid-valley. The businesses here — Main Street shops, the grange and church lots, the agricultural and equipment operations on the edge of town — all share one obligation regardless of size: their parking lots must meet federal ADA accessibility standards and Oregon's accessible-parking law under ORS 447.233.
Compliance is not reserved for large lots. A small Jefferson storefront with 20 stalls is held to the same accessibility rules as a regional shopping center. This 2026 guide covers the four pillars of parking lot compliance — counts, signage, dimensions, and slope — as they apply locally. For the complete statewide picture, anchor on our ADA parking compliance guide for Oregon.
The 2010 ADA Standards set accessible-space counts by total lot size. The baseline ratio is 1 accessible space for every 25 total stalls on smaller lots:
| Total Stalls | Required Accessible | Van-Accessible Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| 1–25 | 1 | 1 |
| 26–50 | 2 | 1 |
| 51–75 | 3 | 1 |
| 76–100 | 4 | 1 |
| 101–150 | 5 | 1 |
The access aisle must sit flush with the stall, be marked with diagonal hatching, and connect to a continuous accessible route to the building entrance. Two adjacent accessible stalls can share one aisle between them.
Each accessible space needs a vertical sign bearing the International Symbol of Accessibility, mounted at least 60 inches above grade measured to the bottom of the sign so it stays visible when a vehicle is parked. Van spaces add a "Van Accessible" plate. Oregon also requires a supplemental sign stating the fine for unauthorized parking — a detail many older Jefferson lots are missing. Our guide to ADA parking sign placement covers mounting height and sign content in detail.
Accessible stalls and their access aisles cannot exceed 2 percent slope in any direction. This is the rule Santiam-valley lots fail most often. Jefferson's wet winters and the freeze-thaw cycles that follow settle asphalt and heave pavement, so a stall that drained at a compliant slope when it was built can quietly drift past tolerance over a decade. Slope is measured on the finished surface, which is why grading and any settling must be accounted for when a lot is restriped or resurfaced.
Routine maintenance — sealcoating, crack filling, patching, and restriping existing markings — does not trigger new ADA obligations, though you may never make a lot less accessible than it already is. A true alteration, such as a full overlay or reconstruction, does trigger the duty to bring the path of travel into compliance to the maximum extent feasible. If you are planning paving work on a Jefferson property, factor accessibility upgrades into the budget from the start.
The counts, dimensions, and slope limits here reflect the 2010 ADA Standards and ORS 447.233 as general guidance. Local permitting and the specific condition of your lot determine what compliance actually requires. The reliable way to know where your lot stands is a measured on-site survey — see our ADA compliance audit process for what that involves. Published figures are a reference point, not a substitute for an inspection.
Cojo Excavation & Asphalt serves Jefferson and the surrounding Santiam-valley communities of Marion County. We assess accessible counts, measure stalls and aisles, read slopes, check signage, and restripe lots to a compliant layout. If your lot is due for a striping refresh, our local parking lot striping in Jefferson guide explains how compliance work folds into a restripe.
Request a free ADA compliance estimate — we respond within 24 hours. Learn more about our professional striping services.
Understand what happens during an ADA parking compliance audit, common violations found in Oregon commercial lots, and how to prepare your property.
Complete guide to ADA parking requirements in Oregon, including space dimensions, van accessible standards, signage rules, and ORS 447.233 specifics for commercial property owners.
See real before-and-after results of commercial sealcoating projects in Oregon and learn how this affordable maintenance extends parking lot life by a decade or more.
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