Where in the US is it illegal to pump your own gas?

New Jersey is the only state in the country that does not allow its drivers to pump their own gas, while Oregon has some restrictions. And it's a point of pride for many throughout the Garden State.

That may come to an end, however, with a new proposal to allow self-service as an option as gas prices surge due to inflation and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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"Everyone's in a rush, so if you can pump your own gas, save 15 cents or more per gallon, why not?" Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro said. "If you don't want to, it's your option."

The New Jersey Legislature introduced A3105, dubbed the Motorist Fueling Choice and Convenience Act, a bipartisan measure that would allow residents the option to pump their own gas or continue with full-serve from an attendant.

"While some drivers may enjoy the convenience of staying in their car as an attendant fills their tank, waiting for that assistance becomes inconvenient when a driver is in a rush or the station is particularly busy," Assemblywoman Carol Murphy said. "This legislation will simply give drivers more options when it comes to filling up their gas tanks themselves, while ensuring drivers who need it can still receive assistance at the pump."

Following the introduction, members of the New Jersey Gasoline, Convenience Store, Automotive Association (NJGCA), whose membership includes nearly 1,000 small-business motor fuel retailers, came out in support of the bill.

"The current law that does not allow for self-serve is crippling my small business," NJGCA president and gas station owner Joe Ocello said. "When I got into the business years ago, it was a great way to make a living, a pathway to the American dream. But increasing prices and labor shortages are making it more and more difficult to run a gas station."

The bill would allow gas stations to offer the option of self-serve, though stations with more than four dispensers would still be required to continue offering full service.

"I can guarantee that allowing for a self-serve option will save motorists, who exercise their right to choose, money at the gas pump," said Kashmir Gill, NJGCA member and owner of multiple locations in Central Jersey. "As a station owner, I know that the self-serve option will bring my businesses significant cost savings that I can pass along to my customers."

Congress passed a statue in 1949 entitled the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act that banned self-serve gas, citing safety concerns like fire hazards. New Jersey is currently the only state that maintains the law and requires a gas station employee to pump.

"I am finding it increasingly difficult to keep my gas stations open due to the labor shortages, significantly impacting my business," said Levent Sertbas, NJGCA member and gas station owner. "There have been multiple instances where I have had to close midday because I cannot find attendants to work the gas pumps."

Not everyone, however, is a fan of the proposal.

"I wouldn't know how to do it, and I don't think I'd want to do it," motorist Mary Ann Bacs said. "I know if you go out of state, you do have to do it. And I'm happy that someone is with me when I do it."

For some New Jerseyans, the idea of pumping your own gas is foreign.

"I'd rather someone pump my gas for me, because I've lived in Jersey my whole life," motorist Justine Myack said. "I don't know how to pump gas."

There are roughly 2,200 gas stations in the state, and many see the measure as a way to keep them in business, particularly amid staffing shortages.

"New Jersey law requires that an attendant pump must pump the customer's gas," said Sal Risalvato, executive director of the New Jersey Gasoline and Convenience Store Association. "So if we don't have an attendant, we can't pump any gas."

Every single day, tens of millions of Americans pump their own fuel into their vehicles. And while this may seem like the most commonplace activity for the majority of Americans, have you ever wondered what life would be like if you didn’t have to pump your own gas? Or better yet, if pumping your own gas could be a crime?

For people living in two U.S. states, pumping your own fuel could mean breaking the law. So what’s the deal with ultra-rare, self-service bans?

The only two places in the U.S. where you can’t pump your own gas

In 48 of the 50 U.S. states, it’s perfectly acceptable and normal to get out of your vehicle and pump your own gas. In New Jersey and Oregon, however, laws prohibit citizens from doing so. Though Oregon has made recent strides in changing its laws, both states have banned its citizens from pumping their own fuel at gas stations for decades.

In 1949, New Jersey passed the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act. This law banned the use of fuel stations by consumers. This meant that all vehicles receiving fuel must be serviced from the fuel station itself, and its employees. In 1951, Oregon passed its own version of this law, though each state has faced its own challenges to the law through the years.

In 2018, Oregon changed its fuel-servicing laws to be more lenient. According to Fortune, residents of some rural towns in Oregon are now legally allowed to pump their own gas.

This leniency only applies to counties in Oregon with a population of fewer than 40,000 people. In 15 of those counties, citizens are allowed to serve themselves at any point during the day, while people in the remaining three counties must pump their own fuel between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.

New Jersey is currently the only complete state now in the country where it is illegal to pump your own gas. Violators of this New Jersey law can face fines starting between $50-$250 for the first offense, and $500 for preceding offenses. And while Oregon has made small strides, where did these two self-service bans even come from?

What’s with the self-service bans?

Believe it or not, there used to be absolutely no self-service fuel stations in the country. When automobiles were first making their stops for fuel, it was taken care of by a professional.

But a lot has changed in the technology, safety, and design of gas stations since the first automobiles. During those early decades, it was believed that consumers pumping fuel would be unsafe, and according to Infoplease, laws were enacted to ban consumers from pumping their own gas. This was to protect their safety, as well as the owners of fueling stations that would become the victims of costly, and even deadly, accidents.

But since the 1970s, self-service gas stations have become a staple on every street. So why do self-service bans still exist in New Jersey and Oregon?

Why do self-service bans still exist?

Oregon just made it legal to pump your own gas and people are freaking out. pic.twitter.com/yYFbMgXT9p

— Michael Hendrix (@michael_hendrix) January 3, 2018

The laws in New Jersey and Oregon have undergone criticism for decades. There are some that would argue that repealing the law would cost people tens of thousands of jobs, in addition to the emotional stress associated with never having pumped their own gas before.

As shown by Forbes, the appears to be true, as Oregon residents used social media to express their frustration with pumping their own fuel, only weeks after the ban was modified. Others argue that a repeal would mean lower costs at the pump.

But resistance comes in all forms. While some citizens want these laws to disappear, others feel they are necessary. Disabled motorists, for instance, depend on the employees of a full-service station. Established businesses as well, will continue to back these bans since they would face greater competition from rival gas stations if the laws were repealed.

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