ADA Parking Requirements in New York

New York Follows Federal On Count And Size

The 2020 Building Code of New York State adopts ICC A117.1 for accessible parking design, and it applies everywhere in the state except New York City, which enforces its own Construction Codes. Outside the city, the accessible-space count, the stall and access-aisle dimensions, and the one-in-six van ratio track the federal 2010 ADA Standards, with one important exception covered next.

A car accessible space is at least 8 feet wide, a van space is 11 feet wide or 8 feet wide next to an 8-foot aisle, the base standard uses a 5-foot access aisle, and the surface stays within a 1 in 48 slope in all directions. The number of accessible spaces follows the federal table below.

The 8-Foot Access Aisle Rule

This is where New York adds to the federal baseline, and it changes the striping. Section 1106.1.1 of the State Building Code requires accessible parking spaces to have access aisles at least 8 feet wide. The federal standard and the base version of A117.1 set a 5-foot minimum aisle at a car space; New York widens it to 8 feet at every accessible space, car and van alike. The rule runs across the state, outside New York City.

On the ground, each accessible space plus its aisle is a wider module than a federal-only lot, so budget the extra width when you lay out the accessible row. As with the federal rule, two adjacent accessible spaces can share one access aisle between them.

• Aisle width. At least 8 feet at every accessible space, everywhere in the state outside New York City.
• Aisle sign. New York requires each access aisle to carry its own sign under Section 1111.5, on top of the pavement markings that keep it clear.
• Space signage. The International Symbol of Accessibility at each required space, a van accessible designation at van spaces, and signs mounted so the bottom sits 5 to 7 feet above the surface.

New York City Is Its Own Code

If the lot is in the five boroughs, do not use the state numbers. New York City enforces its own Construction Codes, and its accessible-parking rules differ from the rest of the state in ways that matter to a layout.

• Count. New York City uses a flat rule of 5 percent of total spaces rather than the graduated federal table, with higher ratios for some medical uses. On a large lot that is more accessible spaces than the state table, so run the city math separately.
• Aisle. The city code follows the base 5-foot A117.1 aisle, not the state 8-foot amendment, so confirm which aisle width applies before you stripe.
• Fine. New York City sets its own parking fine through the Department of Finance, higher than the state range.

Fines, Signage, And Who Enforces

State law (Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 1203-C) sets the penalty for parking in a marked accessible space or its access aisle without authorization, and it also puts a duty on certain property owners to provide the spaces in the first place.

• Unauthorized parking. A fine of 50 to 75 dollars for a first offense, and 75 to 150 dollars for a second offense within two years in the same municipality, unless a local law sets a higher maximum.
• Failure to designate spaces. A shopping center or similar facility (5 or more stores, or a lot of 20 or more spaces) that fails to provide the required accessible spaces can be fined up to 250 dollars.
• New York City. The city sets its own higher flat fine through the Department of Finance, so cite the city figure for city lots.

Worked Example: 500-Space Lot, Outside The City vs In It

Scenario: a 500-space retail lot getting a full re-layout, once outside New York City and once inside it, to show how far the two rule sets diverge on a big lot.

1. Outside the city: 9 accessible spaces (the 401-to-500 row of the federal table), each with an 8-foot access aisle.
2. New York City: 25 accessible spaces (a flat 5 percent of 500), far more than the state table.
3. Van-accessible among them: at least 1 per 6 accessible spaces, rounded up, in both cases.
4. Signage: the International Symbol of Accessibility, plus the access-aisle sign the state requires outside the city.