ADA Parking Stall Dimensions in Oregon: Standard vs. Van

Two Stall Types, A Handful of Numbers

Accessible parking comes in two flavors: standard accessible and van-accessible. The difference between them is almost entirely dimensional, and getting those dimensions right is what separates a compliant stall from a violation. This page lays out the exact numbers for each, plus the one measurement that lives overhead and gets forgotten more than any other.

For the broader picture of counts, signage, and slope, start with our ADA parking compliance guide for Oregon. This page is the dimensions reference.

Standard Accessible Stall

A standard accessible parking space pairs a parking stall with an access aisle.

Element	Dimension
Space width	Minimum 8 feet
Access aisle width	Minimum 5 feet
Combined width	13 feet
Space length	No federal minimum; typically 18 to 20 feet
Slope	Maximum 2 percent in any direction

The 8-foot space and the 5-foot aisle are separate clear areas. The aisle is striped with diagonal hatching and is not part of the parking space, so the full accessible assembly occupies 13 feet of width. The aisle has its own striping spec, which we cover in the ADA access aisle striping spec page.

Van-Accessible Stall

Van-accessible spaces accommodate vehicles with side-deploying wheelchair lifts and ramps, which need more room beside the vehicle. There are two compliant configurations.

Configuration	Space Width	Aisle Width	Combined
Option 1	8 feet	8 feet	16 feet
Option 2	11 feet	5 feet	16 feet

Both options total 16 feet of width. Option 1 (the wider aisle) is the more common and generally more flexible layout, because the wide aisle can be shared between two adjacent spaces. Option 2 (the wider space) is useful where a wider single stall fits the existing layout better. Our van-accessible spaces in Oregon page walks through which option fits which situation.

The Overhead Number Everyone Forgets: 96 Inches

Van-accessible spaces carry a requirement that has nothing to do with paint: vertical clearance. A vehicle with a roof-mounted lift or a raised roof needs headroom, and the standard requires a minimum 96 inches (8 feet) of vertical clearance.

That clearance is not just at the space. It must be maintained at the van-accessible space, at its access aisle, and along the vehicle route a van travels to reach and leave the space. So a parking structure with a 7-foot clearance bar at the entrance cannot host a compliant van space inside, because the van can never reach it. Low canopies, signage, ductwork, and pipes along the drive route all count.

This is the requirement that surface-lot owners rarely think about and structure owners discover the hard way. If your van-accessible space is in or beyond a covered area, verify the clearance the whole way in and out.

How Length and Striping Work

Federal ADA does not set a minimum stall length, which surprises people. The standard governs width and aisle, and length follows local practice, typically 18 to 20 feet to match the rest of the lot's stalls. Oregon lots generally follow standard practice here.

The stall is striped with the same 4-inch lines used across the lot, plus the access aisle hatching and the International Symbol of Accessibility painted on the stall surface. The symbol on the pavement, the vertical sign at the head of the space, and the aisle markings together make the stall read as accessible from every angle.

Why Dimensions Get Compromised

Dimensions usually go wrong for one of a few reasons, and all of them are avoidable:

• Squeezing the layout. A lot that is tight on space gets its accessible stall shaved to 7.5 feet or its aisle cut to 4 feet to fit one more standard space. This is the most common failure and it is a clear violation.
• Restriping over a non-compliant layout. A contractor follows the old faded lines without measuring, faithfully reproducing a stall that was never compliant.
• Wrong configuration for the vehicle. Striping an 8-foot space with a 5-foot aisle and calling it van-accessible, when a van space needs the 8-foot aisle or the 11-foot space.
• Aisle and space at different heights. The aisle has to be level with the space, so a curb or grade break between them breaks the dimensional compliance even if each measures correctly on its own.

Measure Before You Paint

The single most reliable way to get stall dimensions right is to measure the lot before any paint is applied. A contractor who chalk-lines the layout against the actual measured space catches the squeezed stall and the wrong van configuration before they become permanent. Striping over old lines without measuring just preserves whatever was there, compliant or not.

These are general dimensional standards, and your lot's specific constraints, like existing curbs, islands, and entrance routes, affect how they apply. A site survey is the way to confirm the stalls fit correctly. Oregon adds its own layer of signage and code requirements on top of these federal dimensions, detailed in our Oregon ADA parking requirements page.