• Written by: Bernard Toth
• November 2, 2026

Most Common ADA Violations in California (2026 Data)

ADA demand letters in California tend to read alike, and there’s a reason. The same few barriers get claimed over and over, and the state keeps a tally.

Every time a law firm sends a construction-related accessibility demand letter or files a complaint in California, it has to send a copy to the California Commission on Disability Access (CCDA). The commission counts which violations get claimed. Its newest count covers January through June 2026. Here’s what it says and what we’d fix first.

Last verified: October 2026

What Are the Most Common ADA Violations in California?

Counter height. Plaintiffs picked it 561 times between January and June, more than anything else. Grab a tape measure and you can check six of these ten yourself in an afternoon. The other four live on your website.

Source: California Commission on Disability Access, Top Ten Alleged Violations, Jan 1 to Jun 30, 2026

Websites aren’t our trade, so the rest of this post is about the six physical items. Together they were selected 2,572 times, 60% of the 4,277 selections on the list. If your site is in the same shape as your parking lot, call a web accessibility firm too.

What Changed Since 2023?

Counters are still number one, but they’re cited less often. Parking signage and van spaces went the other way. Compared with the CCDA’s January to June 2023 list, counter and table claims fell from 846 to 561, while parking signage rose from 294 to 429 and van spaces from 170 to 264.

Websites are the big mover. In 2023, website access was one line on the list with 242 selections. In 2026 the commission split it into four lines that together came to 1,705. The categories changed, so it’s not a clean comparison, but the direction is obvious.

Which Businesses Get ADA Demand Letters in California?

Restaurants and bars, by a wide margin, with Los Angeles County at the center. In the CCDA’s 2024 annual report, establishments serving food or drink made up 45% of the business-type tags on claims, and sales or rental businesses 22%. All told the commission logged 4,319 complaints and pre-lawsuit letters in 2024.

And LA? The report ranks the ZIP codes that draw the most claims. Of the top 11, seven are ours. Hollywood (90028) is on it, so are Downtown (90012), Beverly Hills (90210), El Monte (91732), San Gabriel (91776), Pico Rivera (90660) and Long Beach (90803). Run a counter-service place on Hollywood Boulevard and you’re working in one of the hottest spots in the state for these letters.

What Makes a Counter or Table Non-Compliant?

Almost always it’s the height, or there’s nowhere to put your knees. Under CBC 11B-902.3, accessible tables and work tops sit somewhere from 28 to 34 inches off the floor with room underneath for knees and toes. A sales or service counter, per 11B-904.4, needs at least 36 inches of its length dropped to 34 inches or lower.

What trips people up is pretty predictable. A coffee bar built at 42 inches end to end. A lowered section that slowly disappeared under the tip jar, the card reader and a pastry case. Pedestal tables whose center post sits right where a wheelchair user’s knees go. A dining room full of high-tops and not one table at sitting height.

Fixing it is mostly carpentry. We either cut a section of the existing counter down or build a 36-inch lowered piece onto the end. For tables you swap a few for the right height with a base that stays out of the way. Then you have to keep the low section empty, because a lowered counter piled with stock gets claimed just the same.

What Are the Common Parking and Path of Travel Violations?

Faded striping, missing or wrong signs, and slopes. Three of the top ten are parking items, selected 1,230 times combined, more than double the counter number. Another 478 claims were about the route from the parking lot or sidewalk to your door.

• Striping and layout. Faded paint, an access aisle that’s too narrow, no van space.
• Slope. Accessible spaces and aisles can’t slope more than 1:48 (about 2%) in any direction. Older lots often fail this one, and it’s a regrade, not a paint job.
• Signs. Missing or wrong-height signs at the space, and the tow-away sign at the lot entrance.
• The route in. Cracked or heaved walkways, a ramp that’s too steep, a curb ramp without detectable warning domes, or a storefront door that’s too heavy or has a tall threshold.

Inside, interior path of travel claims (303) usually come down to aisles narrowed by displays and racks. That one costs nothing to fix but discipline.

Our Call: What Should a California Business Fix First?

If you lease a storefront and don’t control the parking lot, fix the counter first. It’s the most claimed item in the state, it’s inside your space so it’s on you, and a lowered counter section plus a couple of compliant tables is a short job compared with anything outdoors.

The one case where we’d flip it: if you own the property or your lease puts the lot on you, start with parking. The three parking lines together drew 1,230 claims to the counter’s 561. Restripe, fix the signs and check the slope of the accessible space and aisle with a level before you do anything else.

Either way, do the cheap items the same week: clear the lowered counter, open up the aisles, check the door pressure and closer speed on the entry door. Our door closer guide covers that last one.

What Does an ADA Claim Cost a California Business?

At least $4,000 per visit the plaintiff claims under the Unruh Civil Rights Act, plus their attorney’s fees, and fixing the barrier anyway. That’s why so many letters settle.

California does give two breaks under Civil Code 55.56. A small business (25 or fewer employees and gross receipts under the state threshold) that fixes every claimed violation within 30 days of being served can see the minimum drop to $2,000 per offense. A business that had a CASp inspection before the claim and fixes everything within 60 days can get it down to $1,000. Neither applies if the violation was intentional.

Uncle Sam chips in, too. If you did $1 million or less in revenue last year, or had 30 or fewer full-timers, the Disabled Access Credit pays back half of what you spend between $250 and $10,250. That tops out at a $5,000 credit a year. Bigger operations aren’t left out: Section 190 lets any business write off up to $15,000 a year in barrier removal. Your accountant will know which one you can use.

As for the work itself, we price each fix in writing before we start. Our commercial labor in LA runs $105 to $195 an hour, and our rate guide explains what’s included. Bigger jobs like regrading a parking space or rebuilding a ramp need a permit, and we run those as a licensed general contractor. Accessibility work went through LADBS in a median of 126 days last year, according to our permit timeline analysis, so book early. Simple disabled access improvements with no change in parking can qualify for counter plan check, which is much faster.

One more thing. We build and fix things for a living, and this isn’t legal advice.

FAQ

What is the most common ADA violation in California?

Counter and table height, with knee space close behind. In claims sent to the state’s disability access commission from January to June 2026, that one came up 561 times, more than anything else on the list.

How high can an accessible counter be in California?

Thirty-four inches, tops, over a stretch at least 36 inches long. For tables you want 28 to 34 inches and clear space underneath for knees.

How much is an ADA lawsuit in California?

Start at $4,000 for each visit they claim, which is the Unruh Act floor, then add their lawyer’s bill. Fix everything within 30 days of being served and a small business may get that floor cut to $2,000. Had a CASp inspection already and fixed it all within 60 days? It can drop to $1,000.

Does a CASp inspection stop ADA lawsuits?

It won’t stop a letter. What it does is hand you a punch list before anybody else finds the problems, and if you’re sued anyway and fix things within 60 days, the minimum damages can fall to $1,000.

Is the landlord or tenant responsible for ADA compliance?

A plaintiff can go after either one, or both. Day to day, most leases put the inside of the suite on the tenant (counters, restrooms) and the parking and common areas on the landlord. Look for the ADA clause in yours.

Want a second set of eyes before a letter shows up? Call +1 818-835-0556 or send us photos of your counter, entry and parking, and we’ll tell you what we’d fix first.