New Jersey is one of only two states in the U.S. that doesn’t allow customers to pump their own gas — anywhere. There’s always an attendant on duty to pump gas for customers at these full-service stations.

Oregon is the only other state besides New Jersey with a full-service law. However, Oregon’s laws are far less strict and allow certain parts of the state to have self-service gas stations.

Why Is It Illegal to Pump Your Own Gas in New Jersey?

“It goes back to the middle of the 20th century,” said Patrick Murray, the director of the Monmouth Polling Institute. “There were forces involved who wanted to protect their interests in terms of the smaller gas owners against mega gas stations that were starting to be built at the time that would require self-service to be profitable.”

Historically, gas stations with attendants were popular in the first half of the 1900s. But by the 1970s, most states had switched over to customers pumping their own gas.

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The official ban on self-serve gas in Jersey began in 1949 with the Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act, citing safety concerns like fire hazards.