Yes, in Delaware you pump your own gas. Self-service is the standard at nearly every station in the state, and nothing in Delaware law requires an attendant to fuel your vehicle for you. A handful of stations offer full-service islands at a higher per-gallon price, but you’ll rarely see one unless you go looking.
What Delaware Law Says
Title 6, Chapter 29 of the Delaware Code governs retail motor fuel sales. Section 2912 specifically regulates “self-service gasoline stations,” which tells you everything about how the state treats fueling: self-service is the default, not the exception.1Justia. Delaware Code Title 6 Chapter 29 Section 2912 – Self-Service Gasoline Stations; Refueling Assistance for Persons With Disabilities Station owners may choose to run full-service pumps if they want, but no statute forces them to.
Stations that offer both self-service and full-service pumps have to post signs, provided by the Office of Retail Gasoline Sales, identifying which is which.2Delaware Code Online. Delaware Code Title 6 Chapter 29 – Retail Sales of Motor Fuel Most Delaware stations skip the full-service side entirely.
Why Drivers From New Jersey Notice the Difference
The question comes up most often for people crossing in from New Jersey, which is still the only state that prohibits drivers from pumping their own fuel. Under New Jersey’s Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act, an attendant cannot let a non-attendant dispense fuel into a vehicle or container, and stations there must post signs reading “It is unlawful to serve yourself. Wait for an attendant.”3NJ.gov. Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act and Regulations Cross the Delaware Memorial Bridge and the rule flips: on the Delaware side, you handle the nozzle yourself.
Oregon used to have a similar full-service requirement but relaxed it in 2023. Twenty rural counties there now allow unrestricted self-service, and sixteen others permit stations to designate up to half their pumps as self-serve, with an attendant still on site.4Oregon State Fire Marshal. Self-Serve Fueling Delaware never went through that shift because it never restricted self-service to begin with.
If You Cannot Pump Your Own Gas
Delaware law and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act both require stations to help drivers who cannot safely fuel their own vehicles. Under the ADA, a station must provide refueling assistance on request from a customer with a disability, and the customer pays only the self-service price.5ADA.gov. ADA Business Brief: Assistance at Gas Stations Delaware’s statute goes further and extends the same protection to drivers 85 and older.
Stations With Both Full-Service and Self-Service Pumps
These stations must provide refueling assistance during the hours full-service is offered. The driver has to display a disability plate or parking permit and be the person the permit was issued to. The station charges the self-service price regardless of which pump gets used.1Justia. Delaware Code Title 6 Chapter 29 Section 2912 – Self-Service Gasoline Stations; Refueling Assistance for Persons With Disabilities
Self-Service-Only Stations
Stations without full-service pumps must install at least one calling device so a driver can signal for help without getting out of the vehicle. The device has to be operable with one hand, send a recognizable signal inside the station, and be marked with a sign that identifies it and lists the hours assistance is available.1Justia. Delaware Code Title 6 Chapter 29 Section 2912 – Self-Service Gasoline Stations; Refueling Assistance for Persons With Disabilities These are usually intercom buttons or call boxes mounted on the pump island.
Two exceptions apply. A station is not required to send someone out when only a single employee is running the facility on remote control, or when someone else already in the driver’s vehicle is capable of pumping. A station that fails to meet the assistance requirements faces a civil penalty of $300 to $600 per violation, enforced through the justices of the peace.1Justia. Delaware Code Title 6 Chapter 29 Section 2912 – Self-Service Gasoline Stations; Refueling Assistance for Persons With Disabilities
What You’re Responsible For at the Pump
Because you’re doing the fueling, the safety rules fall on you. Delaware adopts NFPA 30A, the national Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages Code, through its State Fire Prevention Regulations.6Delaware Regulations. Delaware Code Title 1 701 – Administration and Enforcement The practical rules are short:
- Turn your engine off before you start pumping.7ICC. International Fire Code Chapter 23 – Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages
- No smoking or open flames in the dispensing area; the fire code bans them within 50 feet of active fueling.7ICC. International Fire Code Chapter 23 – Motor Fuel Dispensing Facilities and Repair Garages
- Only use portable containers designed for flammable liquids. Buckets, plastic bags, and unapproved tanks are not allowed.
- Stay at the nozzle while it’s running. Automatic shutoffs are required, but walking away is how spills and fires start.
Static discharge is a less obvious risk. Sliding across a car seat can build up a charge that sparks when you touch the metal nozzle near gasoline vapor. Touch a metal part of your car with your bare hand before you reach for the nozzle, and once fueling starts, stay out of the vehicle until you’re done.