ADA Parking Requirements in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Follows Federal On Count And Size

Pennsylvania regulates commercial construction through the Uniform Construction Code, or UCC, which for accessible parking tracks the federal 2010 ADA Standards. The accessible-space count, the stall and access-aisle dimensions, and the one-in-six van ratio match the federal numbers, with no Pennsylvania-specific change to the count table or the stall sizes.

A car accessible space is at least 8 feet wide with a 5-foot access aisle, a van space is 11 feet wide with a 5-foot aisle or 8 feet wide with an 8-foot aisle, the surface stays within a 1 in 48 slope in all directions, and the count follows the federal table below.

The Frozen Accessibility Code

Here is the Pennsylvania quirk no other state page has to flag. The UCC adopted the 2021 building code in a rulemaking effective January 1, 2026, but it deliberately left the accessibility chapter out of that update. For accessible parking, Pennsylvania stays on the 2018 building code, which references ICC A117.1-2009.

The reason is a court ruling. In 2022 the Commonwealth Court declared the state law that authorized the accessibility update unconstitutional and enjoined Pennsylvania's 2021 accessibility regulations, and the state's later code refresh left accessibility out rather than re-litigate it. For a paving contractor the practical effect is small but worth knowing: the stall and aisle dimensions did not change between the A117.1 editions, so you design to the same numbers, but plan review references the 2018 edition and the 2009 version of A117.1. Do not be thrown when the reviewer cites the older standard.

The Sign Must Post The Fine

Pennsylvania ties the enforceability of the fine to the sign, which puts it in the scope of whoever specs the signage on a lot you pave. Under the Vehicle Code (75 Pa.C.S. Section 3354), parking in a properly posted accessible space without authorization is a summary offense.

• Base fine. Not less than 50 and not more than 200 dollars, plus a mandatory additional 50 dollar penalty on conviction.
• The catch. The sign has to state the penalty amount. If a driver is convicted where the sign did not post the fine, the penalty may not exceed 50 dollars.
• Placard misuse. Using someone else's disability placard or plate carries a separate, higher penalty (100 to 300 dollars).

Who Enforces: The UCC Opt-Out

Pennsylvania administers the UCC locally, and municipalities can opt out of running it. That changes who inspects, not whether the rule applies.

Most municipalities administer the UCC with their own or a third-party inspection agency. In a municipality that has opted out of enforcing commercial construction, the Department of Labor and Industry steps in and enforces commercial UCC compliance, including accessible parking, directly. Either way, the accessible-parking requirement applies to every commercial lot in the state. Opt-out only changes who reviews and inspects your work, so confirm early who has jurisdiction over the lot you are paving.

Worked Example: 120-Space Pennsylvania Lot

Scenario: a 120-space retail lot in Pennsylvania getting a full re-layout.

1. Accessible spaces required: 5 (the 101-to-150 row of the federal table)
2. Van-accessible among them: at least 1 (one per six accessible spaces, rounded up)
3. Dimensions: the federal numbers, which is also what the 2018 code and A117.1-2009 require (8-foot car space with a 5-foot aisle, 11-foot van space or 8-foot van with an 8-foot aisle)
4. Signage: spec signs that post the 50-to-200 dollar fine amount, so the penalty is enforceable above the 50 dollar cap