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Accessible Parking Spaces

When state or local governments, businesses and non-profit organizations provide parking lots or garages, accessible parking spaces complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) must be provided.

Accessible parking spaces are different than traditional parking spaces. They have specific features that make it easier for people with disabilities to access your programs, goods or services.

Topic

Read this to get a basic understanding of this topic.

Features

Location

In parking lots or garages, accessible parking spaces must be located on the shortest accessible route to the accessible entrance. An accessible route is the path a person with a disability takes to enter and move through a building or facility.

Access Aisles

Accessible parking spaces must have access aisles. Access aisles provide a designated area for people who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices to get in and out of their car or van. Mobility devices allow people with disabilities to move about independently. They include walkers, canes, crutches, braces, manual or power wheelchairs, Segways, and electric scooters.

Access aisles must be:

  • Marked (to discourage drivers from parking in them)

  • The same length as the space

  • Level with the parking space

A van-accessible parking space sharing an access aisle with an accessible parking space for a car

Two accessible parking spaces can share an access aisle with the access aisle between the two parking spaces (except in angled parking).

An access aisle can be placed on either side of the parking space (except in angled parking where it must be located on the passenger side of the parking space).

Parking Spaces

Accessible parking spaces must be provided for cars and vans.

Car accessible spaces must:

  • Be at least 96 inches wide

  • Have an access aisle at least 60 inches wide

  • Have no more than a 1.48 (2.08%) slope in all directions

  • Have a surface that is firm, stable, and slip-resistant

  • Have a sign with the international symbol of accessibility on it, mounted at least 60 inches above the ground (measured to the bottom of the sign)

Accessible parking spaces with 60-inch minimum width access aisle for cars

Van accessible spaces must (pick option #1 or #2)

Option #1

  • Be at least 132 inches wide

  • Have an access aisle at least 60 inches wide

  • Have no more than a 1:48 (2.08%) slope in all directions

  • Provide at least 98 inches of vertical clearance (van height) for the parking space, access aisle, and vehicular route

  • Have a surface that is firm, stable, and slip-resistant

  • Have two signs, mounted at least 60 inches above the ground (measured to the bottom of the sign)

    • First sign: international symbol of accessibility
    • Second sign: stating that the space is van accessible
Option #2

  • Be at least 96 inches wide

  • Have an access aisle at least 96 inches wide

  • Have no more than a 1.49 (2.08%) slope in all directions

  • Provide at least 98 inches of vertical clearance for the parking space, access aisle and vehicular route

  • Have a surface that is firm, stable and slip-resistant

  • Have two signs, mounted at least 60 inches above the ground (measured to the bottom of the sign)

    • First sign: international symbol of accessibility
    • Second sign: stating that the space is van accessible

Minimum 96-inch wide van-accessible parking space with 96-inch minimum width access aisle

Calculating Accessible Parking Spaces

The number of accessible parking spaces must be considered separately for each parking structure (lot or garage), not based on the total number of parking spaces provided on a site.

The chart below shows the number of accessible spaces required by the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.

Total Number of Parking Spaces Provided in a Parking Lot or Facility Minimum Number of Accessible Parking Spaces Permitted
1 to 25 1
26 to 50 2
51 to 75 3
76 to 100 4
101 to 150 5
151 to 200 6
201 to 300 7
301 to 400 8
401 to 500 9
501 to 1000 2 percent of total
1001 and over 20, plus 1 for each 100, or fraction thereof, over 1000
At least one of every six spaces must be van accessible.

Special Parking Conditions

Limited Parking

Where parking spaces are limited to four or fewer spaces:

  • One van accessible parking space must be provided

  • A sign identifying the accessible space is not required

Front of a convenience store with four parking spaces, one parking space is a van-accessible space

Parking at Hospital Facilities

Hospital Outpatient Facilities

  • Ten percent of patient and visitor parking must be accessible. At least one of every six accessible parking spaces must be van accessible.

Rehabilitation Facilities

  • Twenty percent of patient and visitor parking must be accessible. At least one of every six accessible parking spaces must be van accessible.

Outpatient Physical Therapy Facilities

  • Twenty percent of patient and visitor parking must be accessible. At least one of every six accessible parking spaces must be van accessible.

Learn More About the ADA and Accessible Parking

You might find the links below helpful:

Related Content

Guidance

ADA Compliance Brief: Restriping Parking Spaces
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