Handicap Parking Striping Requirements

Taking care of the parking lot and the visitors that use it is one of a building owner or manager’s top concerns. A parking lot should be clean, well-organized, and should make accessibility to the building as easy as possible. There are a lot of boxes to check for a great parking lot or structure, but accessibility is one of the main ones.

You need to make sure everyone can easily access your building and that includes any potential visitors with mobility or other issues. The easiest way to take care of that? By meeting all Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines. Making your sure your parking structure or lot complies to ADA standards is not a suggestion, it’s the law.

Depending on your lot there are a few different things you must accomplish but one that’s critical for all public parking lots is ADA-compliant handicap parking spaces and striping. Let’s learn more about ADA parking requirements by reviewing proper striping, spacing, and other things to do to take care of all your lot’s visitors.

ADA Parking Requirements

If you have to stripe your own lot take the guesswork out by visiting reliable resources on ADA parking requirements. The gold standard for ADA compliance is found at the United States Access Board’s website Access-Board.Gov. All ADA requirements including general standards, surfaces, ramps, and parking lot striping requirements can be found on the site.

Let’s review the more basic principles of ADA space requirements like how many spaces are required, how wide they need to be, and other need to know information regarding handicap spaces and striping.

How Many Handicap Parking Spaces Are Required?

The number of required handicap parking spaces depends on the number of total spaces and the lot’s layout. It’s best to use the chart at Access Board to determine your required spaces but there are some general rules all lots must follow:

• Every parking lot, or separate portion of a parking lot or structure (like different levels) must have at least one handicap parking space that is van accessible.
• One in every six handicap parking spaces must be a van-accessible parking spot for lots with less than 500 spaces.
• After 500 spaces but before 1001, van accessible parking must make up 2% of total spaces.
• After 1001 the lot is required to contain 20 van-accessible spots plus 1 for every 100 spaces after 1,000.
• The number of standard handicap parking spaces depends on the number or total parking spaces in your lot. Again, the handy chart provided by the Access Board is a go-to to answer all questions on how many handicap parking spaces are required.

How Wide Is A Handicap Parking Space?

Standard Handicap ADA Parking Dimensions

• Consist of parking space and adjacent access aisle
• The access aisle must be boxed in and painted with diagonal stripes.
• Parking space must be at least 8’ wide
• Adjacent access aisle must be at least 5’ wide

Van-Accessible Handicap ADA Parking Dimensions

• Consist of a space and adjacent access aisle
• The access aisle must be boxed in and painted with diagonal stripes.
• Entire spot including access aisle must measure 11’ wide (8’ for parking space is allowable if the access aisle is also 8’ wide.)

Other ADA Space Requirements

• All handicap spaces must be fitted with curb stops.
• All aisles and spaces should be at same level they are serving.
• Handicap spaces can only be striped over a level surface
• All handicap spaces must include standard handicap or van-appropriate signage according to ADA design standards.

Using a Professional to Meet ADA Parking Requirements

Unless you have a small parking lot, chances are you’re going to hire out your parking lot’s striping including handicap parking spaces. During the hiring process its important to only hire a reputable parking striping and marking company that’s well versed in all proper ADA space requirements and knows how to bring your lot to code.

Always check a potential hire’s reviews, personal referrals, and any other pertinent information like city license number or insurance documentation. If you hire a striping company that doesn’t know what they’re doing you could face large fines and citations and any potential customers with mobility issues won’t be visiting your building.

Inspecting ADA Parking Requirements

In the case of a new lot you can have your handicap spaces and other ADA compliance checked before, during, and after the lot’s installation. You must check with your local building department and paving company to find out if ADA compliance is a part of their inspection process. If not, you can hire a third-party service to verify proper spaces and striping before the lot opens. You can also hire third-party ADA inspection services after a re-stripe.

Giving Accessibility to Everyone

The last thing you want is to accidentally turn service away or insult a potential customer by not ensuring your handicap striping and lot are up to snuff. To be certain everyone who visits your lot is taken care of, research handicap parking striping requirements, only hire a reputable company that knows how to meet all ADA parking requirements, and double-check everything with a city or third-party inspection.

If you can check all those boxes, you’ll be certain you’re up to code and that everyone is able to access your lot and building safely and comfortably. If you have any questions about handicap parking striping requirements, call Great Lakes Asphalt Paving & Sealcoating LLC at (248) 341-3895.