Ever Wonder Why It's Illegal To Pump Your Own Gas In New Jersey?

If you've ever driven through New Jersey's park paradise just outside of Newark or anywhere else in the Garden State, you've probably had an awkward moment at the gas pump. As locals will tell you, only gas station attendants are allowed to put gas in your vehicle. However, pumping your own gas wasn't always illegal in New Jersey.

In 1949, state legislators passed the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act, preventing the average person from putting their paws on the pump. The law specifically states, "It shall be unlawful for any attendant to ... Permit any person who is not an attendant to dispense fuel into the tank of a motor vehicle or any container." This legal ruling arose out of a concern for consumer safety, citing fire hazards associated with self-service gas and the cashier's inability to monitor all pump activity. Plus, it was hardly unusual at the time for an attendant to pump gas. By 1968, only 27 states allowed self-service. However, in the case of New Jersey, there's more to the story. 

In the late 1940s, gas station owner Irving Reingold decided to undercut the competition and lower his gas prices from 22 cents to 18.9 cents per gallon. He budgeted in this price reduction by allowing customers to pump their own gas. It worked. Drivers flocked to his pumps, and other gas station operators were not happy. After the local gas cartel failed to shut down Reingold's business by shooting the place up, the Gasoline Retailers Association turned to state lawmakers, pressuring them to pass the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act, which remains in effect to this day. 

Following odd local customs and laws is part of the travel experience, and some laws simply don't change. Consider these unusual things that will get you fined in Italy or Arizona's most unexpected cactus law. Since Oregon legalized self-serve gas in 2023, New Jersey remains the only state in the U.S. with a pumping ban. And, New Jerseyans have strong feelings about pumping their own gas. In May 2025, New Jersey state Senator Jon Bramnick introduced a bill legalizing gasoline self-service and felt the wrath of his constituents. "I have heard from a lot of people who do not want to pump their own gas, I'll tell you that," Bramnick shared with CBS News. 

At the time of writing, the bill (NJ S4303) remains in committee. But it's hardly the first challenge to the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act. As early as 1951, gas station owners confronted the state about its burdensome self-service ban, and legislators and oil companies have been trying to overturn the law ever since.

Today, New Jerseyans tend to agree on gas pump policy. According to a 2022 study conducted by the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, 73% of respondents said they don't want to pump their own gas, while 22% supported self-service. So, for the time being at least, whether or not New Jersey will conform to U.S. gas pumping norms remains to be seen.