CHAPTER 18
PARKING FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
661—18.1(321L) Scope. These rules shall apply to all public and private parking facilities, temporary or permanent, used by the general public.
661—18.2(321L) Location. Parking spaces designated for persons with disabilities and accessible passenger loading zones that serve a particular building shall be located on the shortest possible accessible circulation route to an accessible entrance of the building. In separate parking structures or lots that do not serve a particular building, parking spaces for persons with disabilities shall be located on the shortest possible circulation route to an accessible pedestrian entrance of the parking facility. When parking spaces for persons with disabilities are required for buildings with more than one accessible entrance, the spaces shall be distributed so that each accessible entrance shall have at least one parking space for persons with disabilities located on the shortest accessible route to that entrance.
Exception:  If the required number of spaces is less than the number of accessible entrances, the spaces shall be distributed so that as many entrances as possible are served by at least one parking space for persons with disabilities located on the shortest accessible route to those entrances.
661—18.3(321L) Dimensions.
	18.3(1) Single space. Parking spaces for persons with disabilities shall be at least 96 inches wide and shall have an adjacent access aisle 60 inches wide minimum (see Figure 1). Parking vehicle overhangs shall not reduce the clear width of an accessible circulation route. Parking spaces and access aisles shall be level with surface slopes not exceeding 1:50 in all directions.
	18.3(2) Multiple spaces. Two accessible parking spaces may share a common access aisle (see Figure 1).
	18.3(3) The requirements of subrules 18.3(1) and 18.3(2) do not apply to parallel on-street parking spaces.

Figure 1	 Figure 2
Dimensions of Parking Spaces	 Access Aisle at Passenger Loading Zones
	18.3(4) Van-accessible spaces. The first parking space for persons with disabilities provided in a parking lot or parking structure, and every eighth parking space for persons with disabilities provided thereafter, shall be a van-accessible space. A “van-accessible” space shall be 96 inches wide with an adjacent access aisle at least 96 inches wide (see Figure 3). Two adjacent van-accessible spaces may share a common access aisle.
Exception:  Entities providing parking spaces for persons with disabilities are not required to provide van-accessible spaces if all of the parking spaces for persons with disabilities provided in a parking lot or structure are “universally accessible.” A “universally accessible” space is at least 132 inches wide with an adjacent 60-inch wide access aisle. Two adjacent universally accessible spaces may share a common access aisle (see Figure 4).

Figure 3
Van-Accessible Space at End of Row

Figure 4
“Universal” Accessible Parking Spaces
661—18.4(321L) Access aisles and loading zones.
	18.4(1) Passenger loading zones shall provide an access aisle at least 48 inches wide and 20 feet long adjacent and parallel to the vehicle pull-up space (see Figure 2). Vehicle standing spaces and access aisles shall be level with surface slopes not exceeding 1:50 in all directions.
Note:  Projects which are required to comply with the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards shall provide a width of 60 inches for the access aisle.
	18.4(2) A minimum vertical clearance of 108 inches shall be provided at accessible passenger loading zones and along vehicle access routes to such areas from site entrances.
Note:  Uniform Federal Accessibility Standard requires 114 inches of vertical clearance.
	18.4(3) If there are curbs between the access aisle and the vehicle pull-up space, then a curb ramp complying with Iowa Code section 216C.9 shall be provided.
661—18.5(321L) Designation. Each parking space for persons with disabilities shall be designated as reserved for persons with disabilities by a sign meeting the following requirements established in Iowa Code section 321L.6:
	18.5(1) Each persons with disabilities parking sign shall have the international symbol of accessibility in white on a blue background.
	18.5(2) Each persons with disabilities parking sign shall be affixed vertically to another object so that it is readily visible to the driver of a vehicle approaching the parking space for persons with disabilities. Signs shall be mounted so that the bottom of the sign is no less than five feet nor more than seven feet from the surface level of the parking space.
Exception 1:  Signs in use prior to February 1, 2001, which are readily visible to the driver of a vehicle approaching the parking space may continue to be used until replaced.
Exception 2:  Signs marking parking spaces for persons with disabilities which are affixed to other approved parking signs and devices are not required to meet the minimum or maximum height requirements of this rule, provided that the signs are clearly visible to the drivers of vehicles approaching the spaces which they mark.
Note:  The pavement in a persons with disabilities parking space may be marked with the international symbol of accessibility, but such marking does not meet the requirements of this subrule.
	18.5(3) Each persons with disabilities parking sign may include language stating the amount of the fine for improperly using the persons with disabilities parking space. If a persons with disabilities parking sign includes language stating the amount of the fine, it shall reflect the current specified amount of the fine.
661—18.6(321L) Numbers of parking spaces for persons with disabilities required in off-street parking facilities.
	18.6(1) At least 2 percent of the total parking spaces in any off-street nonresidential parking facility available to the public shall be designated as spaces for persons with disabilities, rounded to the nearest whole number of parking spaces for persons with disabilities. There shall be at least one parking space for persons with disabilities in any off-street nonresidential parking facility available to the public which has a total of ten or more parking spaces.
	18.6(2) All off-street parking facilities on which construction is completed on or after July 1, 1991, which provide parking to the general public and which provide ten or more parking spaces, shall designate parking spaces for persons with disabilities in accordance with the following table:

Total Parking Spaces In Lot	Required Minimum Number of
Parking Spaces for Persons
with Disabilities	
10 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	*	
1,001 and over	**	
*2 percent of total
**20 spaces plus 1 for each 100 over 1,000
Note:  Projects which are required to comply with the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards shall provide a minimum of one parking space for persons with disabilities.
661—18.7(321L) Persons with disabilities parking at residential facilities. All public and private buildings and facilities, temporary and permanent, which are residences and which provide ten or more tenant parking spaces, excluding extended health care facilities, shall designate at least one parking space for persons with disabilities as needed for each individual dwelling unit in which a person with a disability resides. Residential buildings and facilities which provide public visitor parking of ten or more spaces shall designate parking spaces for persons with disabilities in the visitors’ parking area in accordance with the table contained in rule 661—18.6(321L).
661—18.8(321L) On-street parking. Provisions for parking spaces for persons with disabilities in on-street parking areas within city business districts shall be as required by Iowa Code section 321L.5.
These rules are intended to implement Iowa Code chapter 321L.
[Filed 6/22/90, Notice 1/10/90—published 7/11/90, effective 8/15/90]
[Filed emergency 7/20/90—published 8/8/90, effective 8/15/90]
[Filed 12/28/95, Notice 8/2/95—published 1/17/96, effective 3/1/96]
[Filed 11/22/00, Notice 5/17/00—published 12/13/00, effective 2/1/01]