Introduction
Despite the fact that gasoline automobiles date back to the early 1900s, self-service gas stations were not popularized until around the 1980s. While to some states full-service gas stations – gas stations where an attendant pumps a customer’s gas – seem like a thing of the past, they are still the norm in some parts of the United States. Some states, however, may ban self-service gas stations, making it illegal for drivers to pump their own gas.
Initially, laws requiring gas stations to be full-service were designed to protect the local economies, where some people’s full-time job was as a gas station attendant; at that time, self-service gas stations were only used for emergencies or after-hours and were coin-operated.
In the states that still do not let drivers pump their own gas, the rationale is largely based on history and tradition, also citing rising costs and safety issues. Despite many unsuccessful attempts to change the legislation, baring full-service gas stations can even be as divisive as to be considered a political third rail.
Learn for yourself the states where you can’t pump your own gas by browsing the charts.
| State | Possibility to Pump Own Gas | Retail Gas Price | Gas Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | No | $4,896 | $0.42 |
| Oregon | No | $5,497 | $0.38 |
| Alabama | Yes | $4,484 | $0.28 |
| Alaska | Yes | $5,571 | $0.09 |
| Arizona | Yes | $5,278 | $0.18 |
| Arkansas | Yes | $4,433 | $0.25 |
| California | Yes | $6,308 | $0.51 |
| Colorado | Yes | $4,902 | $0.22 |
| Connecticut | Yes | $4,861 | $0.25 |
| Delaware | Yes | $4,811 | $0.23 |
| Florida | Yes | $4,642 | $0.19 |
| Georgia | Yes | $4,389 | $0.29 |
| Hawaii | Yes | $5,573 | $0.16 |
| Idaho | Yes | $5,216 | $0.32 |
| Illinois | Yes | $5,419 | $0.39 |
| Indiana | Yes | $4,993 | $0.32 |
| Iowa | Yes | $4,607 | $0.24 |
| Kansas | Yes | $4,590 | $0.24 |
| Kentucky | Yes | $4,604 | $0.25 |
| Louisiana | Yes | $4,433 | $0.2 |
| Maine | Yes | $5,006 | $0.3 |
| Maryland | Yes | $4,837 | $0.36 |
| Massachusetts | Yes | $4,922 | $0.24 |
| Michigan | Yes | $5,032 | $0.27 |
| Minnesota | Yes | $4,701 | $0.29 |
| Mississippi | Yes | $4,405 | $0.18 |
| Missouri | Yes | $4,589 | $0.2 |
| Montana | Yes | $4,957 | $0.33 |
| Nebraska | Yes | $4,707 | $0.25 |
| Nevada | Yes | $5,577 | $0.23 |
| New Hampshire | Yes | $4,872 | $0.22 |
| New Mexico | Yes | $4,701 | $0.17 |
| New York | Yes | $4,950 | $0.25 |
| North Carolina | Yes | $4,524 | $0.39 |
| North Dakota | Yes | $4,710 | $0.23 |
| Ohio | Yes | $4,846 | $0.39 |
| Oklahoma | Yes | $4,568 | $0.19 |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | $4,950 | $0.58 |
| Rhode Island | Yes | $4,890 | $0.34 |
| South Carolina | Yes | $4,406 | $0.26 |
| South Dakota | Yes | $4,731 | $0.28 |
| Tennessee | Yes | $4,499 | $0.26 |
| Texas | Yes | $4,524 | $0.2 |
| Utah | Yes | $5,185 | $0.32 |
| Vermont | Yes | $4,950 | $0.32 |
| Virginia | Yes | $4,703 | $0.26 |
| Washington | Yes | $5,492 | $0.49 |
| West Virginia | Yes | $4,842 | $0.36 |
| Wisconsin | Yes | $4,697 | $0.31 |
| Wyoming | Yes | $4,874 | $0.24 |
States Where You Can't Pump Your Own Gas
Alabama
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,484
Ranked in the US
#46
$0.28
Ranked in the US
#30
Alaska
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$5,571
Ranked in the US
#4
$0.09
Ranked in the US
#1
Arizona
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$5,278
Ranked in the US
#8
$0.18
Ranked in the US
#4
Arkansas
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,433
Ranked in the US
#47
$0.25
Ranked in the US
#21
California
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$6,308
Ranked in the US
#1
$0.51
Ranked in the US
#50
Colorado
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,902
Ranked in the US
#20
$0.22
Ranked in the US
#11
Connecticut
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,861
Ranked in the US
#25
$0.25
Ranked in the US
#24
Delaware
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,811
Ranked in the US
#29
$0.23
Ranked in the US
#13
Florida
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,642
Ranked in the US
#37
$0.19
Ranked in the US
#6
Georgia
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,389
Ranked in the US
#51
$0.29
Ranked in the US
#33
Hawaii
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$5,573
Ranked in the US
#3
$0.16
Ranked in the US
#2
Idaho
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$5,216
Ranked in the US
#9
$0.32
Ranked in the US
#38
Illinois
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$5,419
Ranked in the US
#7
$0.39
Ranked in the US
#47
Indiana
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,993
Ranked in the US
#14
$0.32
Ranked in the US
#39
Iowa
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,607
Ranked in the US
#38
$0.24
Ranked in the US
#17
Kansas
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,590
Ranked in the US
#40
$0.24
Ranked in the US
#18
Kentucky
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,604
Ranked in the US
#39
$0.25
Ranked in the US
#22
Louisiana
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,433
Ranked in the US
#48
$0.2
Ranked in the US
#9
Maine
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$5,006
Ranked in the US
#13
$0.3
Ranked in the US
#34
Maryland
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,837
Ranked in the US
#28
$0.36
Ranked in the US
#43
Massachusetts
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,922
Ranked in the US
#19
$0.24
Ranked in the US
#19
Michigan
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$5,032
Ranked in the US
#12
$0.27
Ranked in the US
#29
Minnesota
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,701
Ranked in the US
#34
$0.29
Ranked in the US
#32
Mississippi
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,405
Ranked in the US
#50
$0.18
Ranked in the US
#5
Missouri
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,589
Ranked in the US
#41
$0.2
Ranked in the US
#8
Montana
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,957
Ranked in the US
#15
$0.33
Ranked in the US
#40
Nebraska
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,707
Ranked in the US
#32
$0.25
Ranked in the US
#23
Nevada
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$5,577
Ranked in the US
#2
$0.23
Ranked in the US
#14
New Hampshire
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,872
Ranked in the US
#24
$0.22
Ranked in the US
#12
New Jersey
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
No
Retail Gas Price
$4,896
Ranked in the US
#21
$0.42
Ranked in the US
#48
New Mexico
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,701
Ranked in the US
#35
$0.17
Ranked in the US
#3
New York
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,950
Ranked in the US
#16
$0.25
Ranked in the US
#25
North Carolina
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,524
Ranked in the US
#43
$0.39
Ranked in the US
#45
North Dakota
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,710
Ranked in the US
#31
$0.23
Ranked in the US
#15
Ohio
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,846
Ranked in the US
#26
$0.39
Ranked in the US
#46
Oklahoma
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,568
Ranked in the US
#42
$0.19
Ranked in the US
#7
Oregon
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
No
Retail Gas Price
$5,497
Ranked in the US
#5
$0.38
Ranked in the US
#44
Pennsylvania
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,950
Ranked in the US
#17
$0.58
Ranked in the US
#51
Rhode Island
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,890
Ranked in the US
#22
$0.34
Ranked in the US
#41
South Carolina
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,406
Ranked in the US
#49
$0.26
Ranked in the US
#26
South Dakota
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,731
Ranked in the US
#30
$0.28
Ranked in the US
#31
Tennessee
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,499
Ranked in the US
#45
$0.26
Ranked in the US
#27
Texas
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,524
Ranked in the US
#44
$0.2
Ranked in the US
#10
Utah
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$5,185
Ranked in the US
#10
$0.32
Ranked in the US
#37
Vermont
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,950
Ranked in the US
#18
$0.32
Ranked in the US
#36
Virginia
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,703
Ranked in the US
#33
$0.26
Ranked in the US
#28
Washington
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$5,492
Ranked in the US
#6
$0.49
Ranked in the US
#49
West Virginia
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,842
Ranked in the US
#27
$0.36
Ranked in the US
#42
Wisconsin
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,697
Ranked in the US
#36
$0.31
Ranked in the US
#35
Wyoming
Possibility to Pump Own Gas
Yes
Retail Gas Price
$4,874
Ranked in the US
#23
$0.24
Ranked in the US
#20