# Is it really illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 27, 2002, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095 "2002-12-27T03:59:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EagleEye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@EagleEye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EagleEye)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/1 "2002-12-27T03:59:43Z")
[http://www.slipups.com/items/9411.html](http://www.slipups.com/items/9411.html) I was reading that about a movie called Antitrust, and it said pumping your own gas in Oregon is illegal. It seems kind of wierd to me. Can anyone confirm this? ---
**Author:** ![\_etalhea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/779978/32.png) [@\_etalhea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_etalhea)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/2 "2002-12-27T04:03:36Z")
It’s illegal in New Jersey (I’m visiting the Garden State at this very moment!) ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/3 "2002-12-27T04:09:24Z")
Yep, no self serve in Oregon. I believe there is an execption in the law that you can pump your own, if you have a classic, or believe the pump jockey might harm the car. ---
**Author:** ![raisinbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8491ac/32.png) [@raisinbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raisinbread)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/4 "2002-12-27T04:19:57Z")
The first time I ever drove outside of New Jersey and needed gas I ended up sitting at the pump for about five minutes wondering where the hell the attendant was. ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/5 "2002-12-27T04:25:51Z")
See [http://www.leg.state.or.us/orlaws/sess0200.dir/0285ses.html](http://www.leg.state.or.us/orlaws/sess0200.dir/0285ses.html) > [@](#): > > An owner, operator or employee of a filling station service station, garage, or other dispensary where class 1 flammable liquids are dispensed at retail may not permit any person other than the owner, operator or employee to use or manipulate any pump, hose, pipe or other device for dispensing the liquids into the fuel tank of a motor vehicle or other retail container. $500 penalty: ORS 480.385. I was driving through Oregon last month, and service attendants refueled for me. I kept looking for a self serve sign. The law was briefly explained to me. I didn’t mind. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/6 "2002-12-27T04:42:38Z")
I was allowed to pump my own gas at an Oregon station once. The cashier said that the official pumpmaster (or whatever the title might be) was off doing some errands. I felt honored. ---
**Author:** ![EagleEye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f04885/32.png) [@EagleEye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EagleEye)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/7 "2002-12-27T04:45:08Z")
**raisinbread** : Heh, that’s kinda funny. As you can see and tell, I’m from Illinois and it’s mostly self service around here. Now a little bit off the path, but why would they make a law like that? I know it gives people work, and obviously avoids people blowing up the whole gas station. But does the reasoning for it go beyond that? ---
**Author:** ![Tanaqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Tanaqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanaqui)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/8 "2002-12-27T05:17:18Z")
I think that by now the reasoning is simply that, as you said, it creates jobs. Oregon isn’t doing that great in the employment line so we can’t really take many chances in that department. And of course it’s also simply “tradition” and not exactly a huge issue. It’s pretty firmly engrained by now and it’d take a pretty big push to get the ball rolling on changing the law. And no one can be bothered to give that push. One site says > [@](#): > > Apparently a law banning self-serve was passed in 1951, ostensibly for safety reasons although actually to reduce unemployment rates, and since then oil companies and gas station owners have unsuccessfully tried to have the law repealed on several occasions. The law is, according to reports, supported by consumer and motoring groups, and presumably by gas station attendants. So… FTR when I took driver’s ed we drove out to the school bus refueling place where they have their own gas pump and the instructor made us kids practice pumping gas ourselves so we wouldn’t be completely confused if we ever travel out of state. So it’s not illegal in all cases I suppose, just in gas stations. I believe that, as someone else mentioned, New Jersey is the only other state with this law. Some of the sites I’ve seen get really upset about this law as some sort of infringement on our civil liberties (?) but I don’t mind it myself. I haven’t noticed that many Oregonians get too upset about it. I do think the a repeal of the law has been voted down numerous times. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/9 "2002-12-27T06:23:42Z")
We have both in Saskatchewan, but I find it rather stupid - the price is the same at both Self- and Full-Serve stations, which can sometimes be found literally across the street from one another! ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/10 "2002-12-27T07:07:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by EagleEye \* > \*\*[http://www.slipups.com/items/9411.html](http://www.slipups.com/items/9411.html) > > I was reading that about a movie called Antitrust, and it said pumping your own gas in Oregon is illegal. It seems kind of wierd to me. Can anyone confirm this? \*\* Yep. One of the reasons I fuel up before I cross the border. I refuse to buy from people who feel I’m not capable of pumping my own gas. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/11 "2002-12-27T10:50:14Z")
slight hijack - do you tip the petrol pumper? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/12 "2002-12-27T12:31:09Z")
It’s all self-service around here. I haven’t seen a full-service gas station since I was about six years old. ---
**Author:** ![SavageNarce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@SavageNarce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SavageNarce)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/13 "2002-12-27T12:37:08Z")
Until a few years ago, Nova Scotia had a similar law. The justification given was that the government wanted service stations to be just that: **service** stations, with attendants, mechanics and service bays. Self-serve stations don’t need any of those, just a cubbyhole for someone who has access to the pump switches and a central cash register. The whole thing kind of fell apart when a _politician_ wanted to open a small gas bar with no service bays. They changed the law to allow self-serve gas stations. :eek: The official rationale was that it would allow consumers to buy cheaper gas, but gee, I thought we had been clamoring for that long before this doofus came along… ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/14 "2002-12-27T13:25:49Z")
Now for motorcyclists in Oregon you can pump your own gas. I think this went into effect this past year. I went through there in 2001 and pumped my own gas everytime I think, though I wasn’t supposed to. I never get gas in NJ anymore because they seem to like to spill it all over my bikes. Only once have I had anyone with a brain fill my bike and that was in RI. Is there a similar law there as I only remember seeing full service there as well. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/15 "2002-12-27T14:40:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Now for motorcyclists in Oregon you can pump your own gas. I was just going to ask about this. A FOAF bought a new motorcycle several years ago. I heard that he complained that he kept running out of fuel. In California many of the nozzles contain boots to trap vapours (I’ve seen them in Oregon as well). The pump will not function unless the boot is seated. Consequently, he was only getting about half a tank of fuel in his bike before the cut-off stopped the flow. In order to fill a motorcycle tank using a nozzle with a boot, you need to use both hands. Hold the tip of the nozzle just inside the tank, and pull the boot up against its spring to make it work. I’d always wondered how they handle that in Oregon. **Rick** says there may be exceptions for people who are very concerned about their cars (and apparently for motorcycles, according to **Edward the Head** ), but **Violet** ’s quote does not mention exceptions. Does anyone have a cite that states exceptions? FWIW, I’m a bit offended by Oregon’s law because it implies that I am incapable of pumping my own fuel or that I might drive off with the nozzle still in the car. But actually it’s no big deal. The only thing that I don’t like is that I can usually get another gallon or two in the tank after the cut-off kicks in, by slowly filling the neck. That’s worth another 20-40 miles of driving, which may make a difference since I tend to drive long distances and let the fuel get pretty low before refuelling. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/16 "2002-12-27T15:41:42Z")
I guess this is one of those cases where the grass ISN’T greener on the other side. I don’t think that the “These people think I’m too stupid to pump my own gas” argument makes any sense at all. The law doesn’t say that HPL and JOHNNY LA aren’t allowed to pump their own gas. It says that NOBODY is. You’ve got to admit that there are probably some people out there that shouldn’t be allowed near a large quantity of highly flammable liquid. When I briefly lived in Texas, I actually saw a person fill up her car with a lit cigarette in her mouth. Hence, we need such laws. Also, there is a luxury factor involved. Isn’t is much easier to sit in your warm car on cold winter day while someone else pumps your gas for you? Living in New Jersey for most of my life, I find it quite annoying to get out of the car and touch a dirty fuel pump. On my trips out of state, I always fill up just before I leave the state. And best of all, our gas is cheaper than most other states and no tipping! ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/17 "2002-12-27T15:45:05Z")
Oops. I just realized that this isn’t IMHO. So, yes, it is illegal…and rightly so. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/18 "2002-12-27T15:51:28Z")
Johnny here ya go [http://wayneabate.com/news.html](http://wayneabate.com/news.html) it should be the first one. I can’t stand the pumps that have a cover on the end, I’ve had a few that spray because they have holes near the top and the gas gets out that way. I wonder if I could get them to pay for a new paint job since they would be the ones getting gas on my tank. ---
**Author:** ![Kalashnikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kalashnikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalashnikov)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/19 "2002-12-27T15:56:26Z")
What kind of motorcyclist would let anyone else pump their gas? I used to live in NJ, rode all the time and often in groups and I’ve never heard of such a thing. never even heard anyone mention the idea. If it is illegal, its certainly never enforced. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2002, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095/20 "2002-12-27T16:26:00Z")
**Jackknifed Juggernaut** : As I said, it’s not a big deal. But even wrongly, the implication is there. **Edward The Head** : Thanks for the link. Interestingly, it says that motorcycles are the _only_ “class of vehicle allowed to actually dispense fuel into their own tanks in Oregon”. Nothing about “you can pump your own, if you have a classic, or believe the pump jockey might harm the car.” **Kalashnikov** : I’ve never seen a motorcyclist _not_ pump his or her own gas, except when one motorcyclist is being nice and doing it for another. I think most people don’t have a clue how to do it when the nozzle has a boot on it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-illegal-to-pump-your-own-gas-in-oregon/145095.md?page=2)