ADA Parking Requirements for Massachusetts Lots

How many accessible stalls you need

Requirements scale with total spaces: roughly one accessible stall for every 25 spaces in the first 100, then a reduced ratio above that. At least one in every six accessible stalls must be van-accessible.

Massachusetts Architectural Access Board rules apply alongside federal ADA standards, and the stricter requirement wins.

Stall and access aisle dimensions

A standard accessible stall is 8 feet wide with a 5-foot access aisle. A van-accessible stall is 8 feet wide with an 8-foot aisle, or 11 feet wide with a 5-foot aisle. Aisles must be marked so nobody parks in them — diagonal hatching is the norm.

Signage and placement

Each accessible stall needs its own reserved-parking sign mounted high enough to remain visible with a car parked in the space, and van stalls need van-accessible designation. Stalls must sit on the shortest accessible route to the entrance, on a surface with minimal slope.

Common violations we get called to fix

Nearly every failed inspection we correct involves one of these:

• Missing or too-few van-accessible stalls
• Access aisle too narrow or unmarked
• Faded or missing accessibility symbol
• Sign missing, too low, or knocked down by a plow
• Accessible stall placed far from the entrance