---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 12186"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "12186"
heading: "Regulations"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/12186"
units:
  - "Chapter 126 — Equal Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities"
  - "Subchapter III — Public Accommodations and Services Operated by Private Entities"
---

# §12186. Regulations

- (a) **Transportation provisions—**
  - (1) **General rule—** Not later than 1 year after July 26, 1990, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Transportation shall issue regulations in an accessible format to carry out sections[^1] 12182(b)(2)(B) and (C) of this title and to carry out [section 12184 of this title](/usc/42/12184.md) (other than subsection (b)(4)).
  - (2) **Special rules for providing access to over-the-road buses—**
    - (A) **Interim requirements—**
      - (i) **Issuance—** Not later than 1 year after July 26, 1990, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Transportation shall issue regulations in an accessible format to carry out sections [12184(b)(4)](/usc/42/12184.md?p=b-4) and [12182(b)(2)(D)(ii)](/usc/42/12182.md?p=b-2-D-ii) of this title that require each [private entity](/usc/42/12181.md?p=6) which uses an [over-the-road bus](/usc/42/12181.md?p=5) to provide transportation of individuals to provide accessibility to such bus; except that such regulations shall not require any structural changes in [over-the-road buses](/usc/42/12181.md?p=5) in order to provide access to individuals who use wheelchairs during the effective period of such regulations and shall not require the purchase of boarding assistance devices to provide access to such individuals.
      - (ii) **Effective period—** The regulations issued pursuant to this subparagraph shall be effective until the effective date of the regulations issued under [subparagraph (B)](#a-2-B).
    - (B) **Final requirement—**
      - (i) **Review of study and interim requirements—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) shall review the study submitted under [section 12185 of this title](/usc/42/12185.md) and the regulations issued pursuant to [subparagraph (A)](#a-2-A).
      - (ii) **Issuance—** Not later than 1 year after the date of the submission of the study under [section 12185 of this title](/usc/42/12185.md), the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) shall issue in an accessible format new regulations to carry out sections [12184(b)(4)](/usc/42/12184.md?p=b-4) and [12182(b)(2)(D)(ii)](/usc/42/12182.md?p=b-2-D-ii) of this title that require, taking into account the purposes of the study under [section 12185 of this title](/usc/42/12185.md) and any recommendations resulting from such study, each [private entity](/usc/42/12181.md?p=6) which uses an [over-the-road bus](/usc/42/12181.md?p=5) to provide transportation to individuals to provide accessibility to such bus to individuals with [disabilities](/usc/42/12102.md?p=1), including individuals who use wheelchairs.
      - (iii) **Effective period—** Subject to [section 12185(d) of this title](/usc/42/12185.md?p=d), the regulations issued pursuant to this subparagraph shall take effect—
        - (I) with respect to small providers of transportation (as defined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2)), 3 years after the date of issuance of final regulations under [clause (ii)](#a-2-B-ii); and
        - (II) with respect to other providers of transportation, 2 years after the date of issuance of such final regulations.
    - (C) **Limitation on requiring installation of accessible restrooms—** The regulations issued pursuant to this paragraph shall not require the installation of accessible restrooms in [over-the-road buses](/usc/42/12181.md?p=5) if such installation would result in a loss of seating capacity.
  - (3) **Standards—** The regulations issued pursuant to this subsection shall include standards applicable to facilities and [vehicles](/usc/42/12181.md?p=11) covered by sections [12182(b)(2)](/usc/42/12182.md?p=b-2) and [12184](/usc/42/12184.md) of this title.
- (b) **Other provisions—** Not later than 1 year after July 26, 1990, the Attorney General shall issue regulations in an accessible format to carry out the provisions of this subchapter not referred to in [subsection (a)](#a) that include standards applicable to facilities and [vehicles](/usc/42/12181.md?p=11) covered under [section 12182 of this title](/usc/42/12182.md).
- (c) **Consistency with ATBCB guidelines—** Standards included in regulations issued under subsections [(a)](#a) and [(b)](#b) shall be consistent with the minimum guidelines and requirements issued by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board in accordance with [section 12204 of this title](/usc/42/12204.md).
- (d) **Interim accessibility standards—**
  - (1) **Facilities—** If final regulations have not been issued pursuant to this section, for new [construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7) or alterations for which a valid and appropriate [State](/usc/42/12103.md?p=2) or local building permit is obtained prior to the issuance of final regulations under this section, and for which the [construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7) or alteration authorized by such permit begins within one year of the receipt of such permit and is completed under the terms of such permit, compliance with the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards in effect at the time the building permit is issued shall suffice to satisfy the requirement that facilities be readily accessible to and usable by [persons](/usc/42/12111.md?p=7) with [disabilities](/usc/42/12102.md?p=1) as required under [section 12183 of this title](/usc/42/12183.md), except that, if such final regulations have not been issued one year after the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board has issued the supplemental minimum guidelines required under [section 12204(a) of this title](/usc/42/12204.md?p=a), compliance with such supplemental minimum guidelines shall be necessary to satisfy the requirement that facilities be readily accessible to and usable by [persons](/usc/42/12111.md?p=7) with [disabilities](/usc/42/12102.md?p=1) prior to issuance of the final regulations.
  - (2) **Vehicles and rail passenger cars—** If final regulations have not been issued pursuant to this section, a [private entity](/usc/42/12181.md?p=6) shall be considered to have complied with the requirements of this subchapter, if any, that a [vehicle](/usc/42/12181.md?p=11) or [rail](/usc/42/12181.md?p=8) passenger car be readily accessible to and usable by individuals with [disabilities](/usc/42/12102.md?p=1), if the design for such [vehicle](/usc/42/12181.md?p=11) or car complies with the laws and regulations (including the Minimum Guidelines and Requirements for Accessible Design and such supplemental minimum guidelines as are issued under [section 12204(a) of this title](/usc/42/12204.md?p=a)) governing accessibility of such [vehicles](/usc/42/12181.md?p=11) or cars, to the extent that such laws and regulations are not inconsistent with this subchapter and are in effect at the time such design is substantially completed.

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. Probably should be “section”.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 101–336, title III, § 306, July 26, 1990, 104 Stat. 361; Pub. L. 104–59, title III, § 341, Nov. 28, 1995, 109 Stat. 608.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1995—Subsec. (a)(2)(B)(iii). Pub. L. 104–59 substituted “3 years after the date of issuance of final regulations under clause (ii)” for “7 years after July 26, 1990” in subcl. (I) and “2 years after the date of issuance of such final regulations” for “6 years after July 26, 1990” in subcl. (II).

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective July 26, 1990, see section 310(c) of Pub. L. 101–336, set out as a note under section 12181 of this title.