Houston property managers · Updated October 24, 2026
ADA parking stall requirements in Texas: a manager’s checklist
Accessible parking needs more than a wheelchair symbol. Count, location, dimensions, slope, routes, markings and signs all matter. Start by identifying which rules cover each part of your property. Apartment resident parking is not automatically governed by the public-parking table below.
This is a parking maintenance checklist, not legal advice or a compliance certification. A registered accessibility specialist can assess TAS coverage and design requirements. Housing obligations may also need a fair-housing review.
First, separate public-facing parking from residential parking
ADA Title III covers public accommodations, including public-facing apartment leasing offices. Private residential areas and resident-and-guest-only amenities are not automatically public accommodations. Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) coverage also depends on the facility and project. Check each parking area’s use, not just the property’s total stall count.
For Fair Housing Act-covered multifamily housing, HUD’s guidelines generally require accessible parking equal to 2% of parking serving covered dwelling units. Accessible routes, different parking types, visitor parking and parking at amenities also need assessment. Disability-related accommodation requests can require additional or reassigned spaces. Meeting a minimum count does not resolve every housing obligation.
TAS 208.2.3 separately addresses residential parking where TAS applies. Its requirements distinguish parking serving accessible dwelling units, additional resident parking, and guest, employee or other nonresident parking. Neither the 2% housing guideline nor Table 208.2 is a universal apartment-lot formula.
Sources: HUD Fair Housing Design Manual, chapter 2 and Texas Government Code chapter 469.
The count table for covered public parking
For parking governed by TAS Table 208.2, count each parking facility separately. Do not pool spaces across a portfolio. A covered 120-space public parking facility needs 5 accessible spaces; a covered 220-space facility needs 7. These examples do not establish the resident-parking requirement for an apartment community.
| Total spaces in the facility | Minimum accessible spaces |
|---|---|
| 1 to 25 | 1 |
| 26 to 50 | 2 |
| 51 to 75 | 3 |
| 76 to 100 | 4 |
| 101 to 150 | 5 |
| 151 to 200 | 6 |
| 201 to 300 | 7 |
| 301 to 400 | 8 |
| 401 to 500 | 9 |
| 501 to 1,000 | 2% of total, rounded up |
| Over 1,000 | 20, plus 1 for each 100 or fraction of 100 over 1,000 |
At least 1 in every 6 required accessible spaces, or fraction of 6, must be van accessible. A 5-space accessible requirement needs at least 1 van space; a 12-space requirement needs at least 2. Locate accessible parking on the shortest accessible route to its entrance, subject to the standard’s location rules.
Source: TAS 208: counts, residential scoping, van spaces and location.
The dimensions: stalls, aisles, slope and clearance
- Car-accessible space: at least 96 inches wide, with an adjacent access aisle at least 60 inches wide.
- Van space: at least 132 inches wide with a 60-inch aisle, or 96 inches wide with a 96-inch aisle.
- Access aisles: full stall length, connected to an accessible route, and marked to discourage parking. Two spaces may share an aisle.
- Angled van parking: put the access aisle on the passenger side.
- Slope: no steeper than 1:48, about 2%, in any direction across the space and aisle.
- Van clearance: at least 98 inches at the space, its access aisle and the vehicular route serving it.
Paint cannot correct excessive slope, a blocked route or insufficient overhead clearance. Those may require pavement, grading or other work before the accessible row can be finished.
Source: TAS 502: parking geometry and signs.
Texas paint and sign rules: check the project date
Texas rule 16 TAC 68.104 adds markings and signs for applicable paved accessible parking. TDLR says this rule applies to projects registered on or after August 1, 2020; it is not retroactive. Do not assume every older residential lot must adopt this package solely because its lines are repainted.
Surface markings under 68.104
- Paint the International Symbol of Accessibility conspicuously on the stall surface, contrasting with the pavement. The rule does not mandate blue.
- Center “NO PARKING” in the access aisle, in uppercase letters at least 12 inches tall with strokes at least 2 inches wide.
Identification and warning signs
- Where TAS 502.6 identification is required, use the accessibility symbol and “van accessible” designation for van spaces.
- The identification sign’s bottom must be at least 60 inches above the ground.
- Under 68.104, warning text reads “Violators Subject to Fine and Towing,” in letters at least 1 inch tall.
- A separate warning sign sits no more than 8 inches below the identification sign, with its bottom 48 to 80 inches high.
- A combined sign may carry both texts if it meets the applicable requirements.
TAS 216.5 has identification-sign exceptions, including accessible spaces assigned to specific dwelling units and facilities with 4 or fewer spaces. Evaluate those exceptions and applicable Texas warning-sign obligations separately. Do not assume an identification exception removes every sign requirement.
Sources: TDLR’s adopted rule text, effective-date notice, and TAS 216.5.
What restriping changes
DOJ says covered businesses and state or local governments must provide required accessible parking when restriping. Its guidance expressly notes that residential facilities have different requirements. TAS 202.3 addresses altered elements where TAS applies; other alteration obligations have qualifications and exceptions.
Before repainting, confirm the correct count, van spaces, routes, slope and signs for that parking area. Correcting a layout while the striping crew is present can avoid repainting later. If the surface needs grading or repair, address that before treating fresh lines as the finished job.
Sources: DOJ restriping guidance and TAS 202.
Enforcement: separate motorists’ fines from owners’ obligations
Texas Transportation Code 681.011 bars certain accessible-space citations without compliant identification signage; warnings remain possible. Access-aisle and curb-ramp obstruction are separate offenses. Private-property enforcement also has statutory conditions. The first-conviction fine for obstruction is $500 to $750, paid by the offender—not an automatic property-owner penalty.
TDLR’s Class B building-owner schedule lists $1,000 to $3,000 for a first TAS violation, rising with repeat violations. These are enforcement ranges, not automatic fines for each faded stripe. Federal Title III enforcement is separate and does not automatically cover private residential areas. DOJ’s court-imposed civil penalty ceilings are $118,225 for a first violation and $236,451 for subsequent violations. DOJ’s 2026 notice retained those amounts. They are not universal apartment or HOA fines.
Sources: Transportation Code 681.011, TDLR sanctions schedule, and DOJ’s 2026 penalty notice.
Price the work your lot actually needs
Worn symbols, aisle lettering and damaged signs may need maintenance. A sloping aisle or broken route may need different work. Our Houston restriping cost guide explains the ballpark ranges. Our HOA parking lot maintenance schedule helps you plan regular walk-throughs.
Get a ballpark for your property from its address, services and rough stall count. It is a ballpark, not a price or compliance certification. Send a quote request for a firm quote within 1 business day.
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