Yes. In Delaware, you pump your own gas. The state is self-service by default at nearly every station, and no law requires an attendant to handle the nozzle for you. A station can choose to offer a full-service island at a higher per-gallon price, but almost none do, so plan on fueling your own vehicle wherever you stop.
What Delaware Law Says
Title 6, Chapter 29 of the Delaware Code governs retail motor fuel sales, and Section 2912 specifically regulates “self-service gasoline stations.” The statute treats self-service as the normal way fuel is sold and places no obligation on station owners to staff attendants at the pump.1Justia. Delaware Code Title 6 Chapter 29 Section 2912 – Self-Service Gasoline Stations; Refueling Assistance for Persons With Disabilities
When a station does run both types of pumps, it has to post signs provided by the Office of Retail Gasoline Sales so drivers can tell the self-service island from the full-service one.2Delaware Code Online. Delaware Code Title 6 Chapter 29 – Retail Sales of Motor Fuel In day-to-day practice you’ll rarely encounter a full-service pump in Delaware unless you’ve gone looking for one.
Coming From New Jersey
Most people asking about Delaware’s rule are driving in from New Jersey, which is still the only state in the country that flatly bans self-service. Under New Jersey’s Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act, an attendant may not permit anyone who isn’t an attendant to dispense fuel, and stations must post signs reading “It is unlawful to serve yourself. Wait for an attendant.”3NJ.gov. Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act and Regulations Cross the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the rule flips. On the Delaware side you get out, swipe your card, and pump the gas yourself.
If You Can’t Safely Pump Your Own Gas
Delaware law and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act both require stations to help drivers who cannot safely fuel their own vehicles. Under the ADA, a station must provide refueling assistance on request to a customer with a disability, and the customer pays only the self-service price.4ADA.gov. ADA Business Brief: Assistance at Gas Stations Delaware’s statute goes further and extends the same protection to drivers age 85 and older.1Justia. Delaware Code Title 6 Chapter 29 Section 2912 – Self-Service Gasoline Stations; Refueling Assistance for Persons With Disabilities
At Stations With Full-Service Pumps
If a station runs both self-service and full-service pumps, it must provide refueling assistance during the hours its full-service is open. You need to display a disability plate or parking permit and be the person it was issued to. The station charges you the self-service price even though an employee is doing the pumping.1Justia. Delaware Code Title 6 Chapter 29 Section 2912 – Self-Service Gasoline Stations; Refueling Assistance for Persons With Disabilities
At Self-Service-Only Stations
Stations with no full-service pumps still have to install at least one calling device at a refueling site. The device must be operable with one hand, send a recognizable signal inside the station, and carry a sign identifying it and listing the hours assistance is available.1Justia. Delaware Code Title 6 Chapter 29 Section 2912 – Self-Service Gasoline Stations; Refueling Assistance for Persons With Disabilities In practice these are intercom buttons or call boxes on the pump island.
Two situations relieve the station of sending someone out: when a single employee is running the facility on remote control, and when someone capable of pumping is already in the driver’s vehicle.1Justia. Delaware Code Title 6 Chapter 29 Section 2912 – Self-Service Gasoline Stations; Refueling Assistance for Persons With Disabilities
Safety Rules You’re Expected to Follow
Because you’re the one holding the nozzle, the safety rules at the pump fall on you. Delaware adopts NFPA 30A, the national Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages Code, through its State Fire Prevention Regulations.5Delaware Regulations. Delaware Code Title 1 701 – Administration and Enforcement The basics:
- Shut your engine off before you start fueling.6ICC. International Fire Code Chapter 23 – Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages
- No smoking and no open flames in the dispensing area; the fire code bars them within 50 feet of active fueling.6ICC. International Fire Code Chapter 23 – Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages
- Fill only containers designed for flammable liquids, never random buckets, plastic bags, or unapproved tanks.
- Stay at the nozzle while it’s running. Automatic shutoffs are required on dispensers, but spills and fires start when people walk away.
One quiet hazard worth knowing: static electricity. Sliding across a car seat builds a charge, and touching the metal nozzle near gasoline vapor can set it off. Before you grab the nozzle, touch a bare metal part of your car, like the door frame, with your hand. Once fueling starts, stay outside the vehicle. Getting back in and out rebuilds the static charge, and if you do have to climb back in, discharge again on metal before you touch the nozzle.