Why can't you pump your own gas in New Jersey?

In 1949, New Jersey imposed a state ban on self-service gas stations for safety reasons. It was believed that customers pumping their own gas created potentially dangerous situations.

In 2014, New Jersey is the only state that still has the law. The issue is revisited every few years in the state legislature. There has been a proposal that both self-service and full-service stations be allowed, but that was rejected by the courts. People who want to drop the law suggest that doing so has the potential to lower gas prices while those in favor of the statute point out that a repeal puts thousands of people out of work.