Some lawmakers are demanding that New Jersey drivers be able to pump their own fuel

TRENTON, New Jersey (WPVI) – To put it mildly, it is controversial and the topic is met with passion: pumping gas in New Jersey.

New Jersey is the only state in the country that does not allow its drivers to pump their own gas, while Oregon has some restrictions.

However, this could end with a new proposal to allow self-service as an option, as gas prices rise due to inflation and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Introduced by the New Jersey Legislature, A3105 – called the Fuel Motor Vehicle Selection and Convenience Act – is a bipartisan measure that will allow residents to be able to pump their own gas or continue to be fully serviced by an escort.

Sponsors for the bill include MP Carol A. Murphy (D) of Burlington County.

After the presentation, members of the New Jersey Gasoline, Convenience Store, Automotive Association (NJGCA), whose membership includes nearly 1,000 small dealers in motor fuels, came out in support of the bill.

“The current self-service law is crippling my small business,” said Joe Ochelo, president of the NJGCA and owner of the gas station. “When I started the business years ago, it was a great way to make a living, a path to the American dream. But rising prices and labor shortages are making it difficult to run a gas station.”

The bill will allow gas stations to offer the self-service option, although stations with more than four sprinklers will still have to continue to offer full service.

“I can guarantee that allowing a self-service option will save gas station motorists money at the gas station,” said Kashmir Gill, a NJGCA member and owner of many locations in Central Jersey. “As a station owner, I know that the self-service option will bring my business significant cost savings that I can pass on to my customers.”

Congress passed a statute in 1949 called the Retail Gasoline Safety Safety Act, which bans self-service gas, citing safety concerns such as fire hazards. New Jersey is currently the only state that supports the law and requires a gas station employee to pump.

“It’s becoming increasingly difficult for me to keep my gas stations open due to labor shortages, which is having a significant impact on my business,” said Levent Sertbas, a NJGCA member and gas station owner. “There were many cases where I had to close lunch because I could not find employees to work with gas stations.”