Oregon ADA Parking Requirements: Spaces, Dimensions & Penalties

Oregon’s ADA parking requirements combine the federal Americans with Disabilities Act with state rules under ORS 447.233 and the Oregon Structural Specialty Code. Together they set a minimum number of accessible spaces based on lot size, specify stall and aisle dimensions that in places exceed the federal floor, and require signage, a barrier-free route to the entrance, and ongoing maintenance. Property owners who meet the Oregon standards satisfy the federal ones as well.

How Many Accessible Spaces Your Lot Needs

ORS 447.233 ties the count to the total capacity of the parking facility:

1–25 total spaces: 1 accessible space
26–50: 2
51–75: 3
76–100: 4
101–150: 5
151–200: 6
201–300: 7
301–400: 8
401–500: 9
501–1,000: 2 percent of the total
1,001 and over: 20 spaces plus 1 for each 100 spaces above 1,000

These are minimums.¹

Medical Facilities

Hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and physical therapy offices carry higher ratios. Hospital outpatient facilities must make 10 percent of patient and visitor parking accessible. Rehabilitation facilities and outpatient physical therapy centers that treat mobility-related conditions must make 20 percent of their patient and visitor parking accessible.²

Van-Accessible and Wheelchair-User Spaces

In lots with up to 100 total spaces, at least one accessible space must be van-accessible. Between 101 and 400 spaces, the Oregon statute shifts to requiring “wheelchair user only” spaces, with the count rising from one to two at the 401-space mark. Above 500 spaces, one in every eight accessible spaces must be designated for wheelchair users.¹

Under the federal ADA, at least one of every six accessible spaces must be van-accessible. Where only one accessible space is required overall, that single space must be van-accessible.²

Stall Dimensions, Aisles, and Slope

Every accessible stall must be at least nine feet wide. The adjacent access aisle for a standard accessible space must be at least six feet wide in Oregon, one foot wider than the federal ADA minimum of five feet. Van-accessible spaces need an eight-foot-wide access aisle to allow lifts and ramps to deploy safely.³ Two adjacent accessible spaces can share one access aisle.

The stall and its aisle must be nearly level: no steeper than 1:48 in any direction, roughly a quarter-inch rise per foot. A steeper surface risks unintended wheelchair movement and unsafe ramp deployment.⁴

Vertical Clearance for Vans

Van-accessible spaces, their access aisles, and the vehicle route linking them to the entrance and exit must provide at least 98 inches (about 8 feet 2 inches) of vertical clearance. This is a common failure point in parking garages, where overhead beams, ducts, and pipes can block full-height vans from reaching the designated space.²

Signage and Pavement Marking

Every accessible stall needs both a pavement marking and an upright sign. The pavement must display the International Symbol of Accessibility, the white wheelchair figure on a blue background.

An upright sign must sit at the head of each accessible space, mounted so it stays visible even when a vehicle is parked there. The bottom of the sign must be at least 60 inches above the ground, above most vehicle rooflines.²

Van-designated spaces need an additional “Van Accessible” sign so drivers of larger vehicles find the spots with wider aisles and taller clearance.²

Location and the Accessible Route

Accessible spaces must sit on the shortest accessible route to the building entrance. When a facility has multiple accessible entrances, the accessible parking should be distributed to serve each one.²

The route itself has to be barrier-free. No unramped curbs, no steps, no steep inclines. Where the path crosses a curb or joins a sidewalk, a curb ramp is required, and that ramp cannot be built inside an access aisle, because the aisle is the area a person uses to transfer from vehicle to wheelchair. A space that measures close to the door in a straight line still fails if the route between them includes an unramped curb or a grass median.

Passenger Loading Zones

If a facility provides a passenger loading zone for drop-offs and pick-ups, at least one must be accessible. The vehicle pull-up space must be at least 96 inches wide and 20 feet long, with an adjacent access aisle at least 60 inches wide running the full length. Vertical clearance must be at least 114 inches at the pull-up space, the access aisle, and the vehicle route to an entrance or exit.⁵

Keeping Accessible Features Usable

Compliance doesn’t end at construction. Titles II and III of the ADA require owners to keep accessible spaces, access aisles, curb ramps, and the route to the entrance in usable condition at all times. Shopping carts, dumpsters, seasonal displays, and leaves can’t be allowed to block these features.

Snow needs particular attention, given how much winter weather varies between the Willamette Valley and higher elevations. There is no fixed federal deadline for clearing snow from accessible features; the standard is “as quickly as reasonably possible.” Plowing snow into accessible stalls, onto access aisles, or over curb ramps violates the maintenance obligation even when the rest of the lot is cleared. If construction or repaving temporarily takes an accessible space out of service, the owner has to provide equivalent temporary accessible parking nearby.

Penalties for Non-Compliance

Two different penalty tracks apply, one to drivers and one to property owners.

Under ORS 811.615, parking in an accessible space without a valid permit is a Class C traffic violation for a first offense and a Class A traffic violation for a second or subsequent offense.⁶ The presumptive fine for a Class C violation is $165, and $440 for a Class A.⁷ Courts can impose more depending on circumstances, and law enforcement can issue these citations on both public and private property.

Property owners face civil, not traffic, exposure. A lot that fails the Oregon Structural Specialty Code or the ADA standards can draw a lawsuit for injunctive relief (a court order to bring the lot into compliance), attorney’s fees for the prevailing plaintiff, and potential damages. State agencies can also impose administrative penalties. The cost of tearing up and rebuilding non-compliant spaces under legal pressure typically runs well above the cost of building them correctly the first time.

Reporting a Non-Compliant Facility

Missing, blocked, or improperly built accessible parking at a state or local government facility, or at a private business open to the public, can be reported to the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Complaints can be filed online at civilrights.justice.gov or mailed to the Civil Rights Division at 950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20530.⁸

Initial review can take up to three months. After that, status can be checked by calling the ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301. The Department may send a complaint to mediation, refer it to another federal agency, or open an investigation that leads to a settlement or lawsuit. The complainant’s name is not disclosed unless enforcement requires it. Not every complaint produces an investigation, but filed complaints build a record that matters when the same facility draws repeated reports.⁸

1
Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 447.233 – Accessible Parking Space Requirements
2
ADA.gov. Accessible Parking Spaces
3
Oregon Department of Transportation. Standards for Accessible Parking Places
4
U.S. Access Board. Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards – Chapter 5: Parking Spaces
5
U.S. Access Board. Chapter 5: Passenger Loading Zones
6
Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 811.615 – Unlawful Parking in Space Reserved for Persons With Disabilities
7
Oregon Public Law. Oregon Code 153.019 – Presumptive Fines
8
ADA.gov. File a Complaint