The Answer:

New Jersey and Oregon are the only U.S. states that currently ban self-service gas stations.

The purpose of these laws was to protect consumers and gas station owners from costly, and possibly deadly, accidents. Better education and improved technology, however, have made pumping gas much safer and easier for consumers over the last 50 years. Since the 1970s, self-service gas stations have grown in popularity.

The New Jersey law was enacted in 1949 and the Oregon law in 1951. Each statute has stood up to several challenges in those two states.

Disabled motorists are most interested in seeing such laws survive. For those motorists with a disability, pumping gas is not an option and they depend on the employees of full-service stations.

Despite requirements outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act, many self-service stations do not provide a full-service option for disabled drivers, nor provide those services at self-service rates.

—The Editors