ADA Compliance Guide for Parking Lot Line Striping

Parking lot line striping may often be an afterthought for property managers/owners, but it serves many purposes— for overall aesthetics, safety, efficiency, and legal compliance. Meeting the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards is a moral and legal obligation that allows everyone to access your property safely.

To make parking lots accessible to disabled folks, property managers must abide by specific layouts, pavement markings, and signage as described in the ADA Accessibility Guidelines. There must be a minimum number of accessible parking spaces based on the size of the parking lot. The accessible parking stall lines and access aisles must be clearly marked with durable and highly visible paint (we love using thermoplastic paint for ADA parking lot pavement markings). Also, all signage must be installed at regulated heights and locations, and all accessible spaces must be of proper dimensions.

In this post, we will explore the importance of ADA-compliant line striping, what the proper parking lot striping entails, and how property owners can avoid common mistakes.

Accessibility For ALL

It’s not just about complying with regulations; it’s about making sure your parking lot is easily accessible to everyone, especially the disabled. Installing and maintaining the proper parking lot line markings allows people with mobility challenges to safely enter buildings, use access aisles, and exit their vehicles.

Legally Enforced

The Americans with Disabilities Act is a federal law that was signed into law by President George H. W. Bush on July 26, 1990. Failing to comply with the law’s guidelines can end in large penalties, including fines of $75,000 or more for the first offense and up to $150,000 for repeat violations. Businesses with parking lots that are in violation of ADA Title III could face potential lawsuits or forced remediation.

Minimize Liability

If your parking lot is poorly marked or completely non-compliant, and someone gets injured, your business can be held liable in court.

Required Minimum Number of Accessible Parking Spaces

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires a minimum number of designated accessible parking spots based on the total number of parking spaces in a lot:

• 1-25 total parking spaces = At least 1 accessible space
• 26-50 total parking spaces = At least 2 accessible spaces
• 51-75 total parking spaces = At least 3 accessible spaces
• 76-100 total parking spaces = At least 4 accessible spaces
• 101-150 total parking spaces = At least 5 accessible spaces
• 151-200 total parking spaces = At least 6 accessible spaces

For every 6 accessible spaces in a parking lot, at least 1 must be van-accessible.

Dimensions of ADA Spaces

• Standard ADA parking spots must be at least 8 feet wide with an access aisle that is 5 feet
• Access aisles must be marked with diagonal lines
• Van-accessible parking spaces need to either be 11 feet with a 5-foot aisle or 8 feet with an 8-foot aisle
• Accessible spaces must be located on the shortest possible path to an entrance of the building, without crossing curbs or traffic. If your facility has multiple accessible entrances, ADA spaces should be distributed near each one.

Signage

Signs must be mounted at least 5 feet above ground level. Every accessible parking spot must have a sign that features the International Symbol of Accessibility, and van-accessible spaces require an additional “Van Accessible” sign.

Be sure not to make these common errors when it comes to parking lot striping. These problems can lead to expensive violations and/or make your parking lot difficult for disabled individuals to use.

• Faded Pavement Markings: Line striping that has faded and is no longer clearly visible
• Wrong Locations: Placing ADA parking spaces in unsafe areas of the property or far from entrances
• Wrong Signage: Not having any signs, signs that are mounted too low, or signs that are illegible
• Wrong Dimensions: Not abiding by the size requirements for ADA spaces and access aisles
• No Van-Accessible Spots: Forgetting to include the required number of accessible spaces specifically for vans

• The parking lot line striping and pavement markings are not clearly visible anymore
• After sealcoating your lot
• After resurfacing your lot
• After changing your building layout

Regardless, you should re-evaluate and update your striping layout every two years to ensure continued compliance and safety.

From designing the proper parking lot line striping layout to installing concrete access ramps— we at Pavement Solutions are a self-performing one-stop-shop for all of your paving, maintenance, and repair needs. We offer every type of service you need to make sure your parking lot complies with ADA. Contact Pavement Solutions to get started on your ADA compliance assessment: give us a call or request a free quote!