Truck Idling Laws by State
Where you can idle a parked truck, for how long, and the fine if you go over. This page covers the statewide rule for all 50 states and DC, plus the city ordinances that catch drivers off guard. Reference only, not legal advice.
22Statewide Laws
29With Local Rules
3-15Minute Range
51Jurisdictions
01
The basics
What an idling law actually limits
An idling law caps how long you can run a parked engine that is not moving the truck. The clock is usually the main engine, and the limit is most often 5 minutes in any 60-minute period. The point is air quality, so these are state environmental or traffic rules, separate from your hours of service.
Two things trip drivers up. First, the limit is not the whole story: the exemptions are. Traffic, repairs, DPF regeneration, PTO and reefer work, and a safety emergency are exempt almost everywhere. Sleeper-berth heat or AC is the one that varies the most, and a few states do not exempt it at all. Second, a state with no statewide law can still have a strict city ordinance. Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, and Denver all run their own.
02
By state
Idling limits for all 50 states and DC
Tap a state for the full rule: the limit, the fine, the statute, the exemptions, and the city ordinances. The Statewide tag means the limit applies state-wide; Local / none means there is no statewide cap, though a city rule may still apply.
| State | Statewide limit | Fine | Notable local rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama AL | No statewide limit Local / none | None for idling time | None notable |
| Alaska AK | No statewide limit Local / none | None | No Alaska city is known to enforce a general idling time limit. Anchorage does require shutting off the engine and removing the key when you leave a vehicle unattended on a public street (AMC 9.36.010). |
| Arizona AZ | No statewide limit Local / none | Maricopa County: $100 first, $300 repeat | Maricopa County (metro Phoenix): diesel over 14,000 lbs, 5 minutes, $100 first / $300 repeat (Ordinance P-21). |
| Arkansas AR | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | None notable |
| California CA | 5 consecutive minutes, anywhere Statewide | From $300 per violation, up to $1,000+, plus DMV registration holds | Regional air districts (South Coast, San Joaquin Valley, Bay Area) mirror the 5-minute rule. |
| Colorado CO | 5 minutes in any 60-minute period Statewide | Low-level traffic or civil penalty (C.R.S. 42-14-106) | Denver runs its own 5-minutes-per-hour ordinance. |
| Connecticut CT | 3 consecutive minutes Statewide | Up to $25,000/day first offense ($50,000/day for repeats) on paper; usually far less | None notable |
| Delaware DE | 3 consecutive minutes Statewide | $50 to $500, then $500 to $1,500 for repeats | Wilmington: diesel vehicles (excluding cars and motorcycles) may idle no more than 3 minutes; fine $35 to $110 (City Code 37-6). Its exemptions do NOT include the state cold-weather allowance. |
| District of Columbia DC | 3 minutes Statewide | From $500, doubling up to $4,000 | None notable |
| Florida FL | No statewide limit Local / none | None for idling time (unattended-vehicle rule: nonmoving violation) | None notable |
| Georgia GA | No statewide limit Local / none | Atlanta: $500 minimum | Atlanta: 15 minutes (25 minutes below 32F), $500 minimum (Code 150-97(c)). |
| Hawaii HI | Off-street idling is barred except for narrow uses; 3 minutes for passenger loading and for start-up or cool-down Statewide | $25 to $2,500 per day (HRS 342B-47) | None notable |
| Idaho ID | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | Ketchum limits idling to 3 minutes in any 60-minute period ($25 fine, Ketchum Code ch. 8.09); nearby Hailey has a similar 3-minute ordinance. |
| Illinois IL | 10 minutes per 60 minutes Statewide | $90 first, $500 for a repeat within 12 months | Chicago: 3 minutes per hour, $250 (Municipal Code 9-80-095). |
| Indiana IN | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | Schools must set their own on-grounds idling policy. |
| Iowa IA | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide (Des Moines: simple misdemeanor / municipal infraction) | Des Moines: a heavy vehicle (GVWR 10,000 lbs or more) may not run its engine or auxiliary engine more than 20 minutes while standing within 150 feet of property zoned and used for residential purposes; delivery/pickup vehicles are exempt only where the engine must run to load or unload (Municipal Code 42-259). |
| Kansas KS | No statewide limit statewide; 5 minutes per hour for heavy diesel in the Kansas City metro Local / none | Up to $10,000 per violation in the KC metro (K.S.A. 65-3018); enforcement emphasizes compliance | Johnson & Wyandotte counties (Kansas side of the Kansas City metro — Overland Park, Kansas City KS, Olathe, Lenexa; I-35/I-70/I-435): heavy-duty diesel over 14,001 lbs may not idle more than 5 minutes in any 60-minute period; up to 30 minutes while waiting to load or unload. Exemptions include traffic, safety/health equipment, inspections, rest-period sleeper heat/AC, work functions (e.g. refrigeration), and APUs (K.A.R. 28-19-712 et seq.). |
| Kentucky KY | No statewide idling time limit Local / none | Unattended-vehicle rule: $20 to $100 (KRS 189.990) | Louisville Metro Code 72.032 treats leaving a vehicle running unattended as a parking violation. |
| Louisiana LA | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | None notable |
| Maine ME | 5 minutes in any 60-minute period Statewide | First offense a traffic infraction (court-adjudged); repeat is a civil violation, $150 (operator) or $500 (vehicle or location owner) | None notable |
| Maryland MD | 5 consecutive minutes when not in motion Statewide | About $70 for a first offense (preset, 0 points); repeats can go to court, up to $500 | Montgomery County applies the statute and treats cold-weather heat (below 40F) as covered by the heating-equipment exemption. |
| Massachusetts MA | 5 minutes Statewide | Up to $100 first, up to $500 after | Boston runs a dedicated idling-enforcement team (Idle-Free Boston). |
| Michigan MI | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | Detroit: commercial vehicles (including buses and trucks) over 8,500 lbs GVWR may not idle more than 5 consecutive minutes per 60-minute period (City Code Ch. 55, Art. IV, Div. 6). The cold-weather relief is narrow — it applies only when the vehicle must stay motionless more than 2 hours while the temperature is continuously below 25F. Other exceptions cover traffic, inspections, and auxiliary power equipment; penalties escalate from a warning to up to $500, though the rule is essentially unenforced. |
| Minnesota MN | No statewide limit Local / none | Minneapolis: up to $200 | Minneapolis: trucks 5 minutes per hour, stretched to 15 minutes below 0F or above 90F, up to $200, with a sleeper-berth exception. |
| Mississippi MS | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | None notable |
| Missouri MO | 5 minutes in any 60-minute period in the St. Louis and Kansas City metros Statewide | No single statewide fine; local penalties up to $100 (City of St. Louis) or $250 (St. Louis County); state air-violation penalties up to $10,000/day (RSMo 643.151) | St. Louis County: stricter 3-minute idling limit, fine up to $250 (Air Pollution Control Code Sec. 612.340) |
| Montana MT | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | Helena and Lewis & Clark County limit idling to about 2 hours, and only during declared poor air-quality periods. |
| Nebraska NE | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | None notable |
| Nevada NV | 15 consecutive minutes Statewide | Administrative fines, schedule up to $2,000 (program maximums run higher) | None notable |
| New Hampshire NH | 5 minutes per hour above 32F; 15 minutes per hour between 32F and -10F; no limit below -10F Statewide | Not stated in the rule; confirm with NH DES | None notable |
| New Jersey NJ | 3 consecutive minutes Statewide | $250 first, $500 second, $1,000 after | None notable |
| New Mexico NM | No statewide limit Local / none | None for idling time | None notable |
| New York NY | 5 consecutive minutes Statewide | State: up to $18,000. NYC: $350 to $2,000 | New York City: 3 minutes, 1 minute next to a school. The Citizens Air Complaint Program pays a bounty for reporting idling trucks. |
| North Carolina NC | No limit currently in force Local / none | None currently | School-bus idle policies still apply to buses, not trucks. |
| North Dakota ND | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | None notable |
| Ohio OH | No statewide limit Local / none | Cleveland: warning, then $100, then misdemeanor. Garfield Heights: about $150. | Cleveland: 5 minutes per hour (10 at a loading dock); below 32F or above 85F, idling is limited to 10 minutes per 60-minute period, not waived. |
| Oklahoma OK | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | None notable |
| Oregon OR | 5 minutes in any 60-minute period Statewide | Class C traffic violation, about $165 | None notable |
| Pennsylvania PA | 5 minutes in any 60-minute period Statewide | $150 to $300 plus court costs (summary offense); DEP may also assess civil penalties up to $1,000 per day per violation | Philadelphia: 2 minutes for heavy-duty diesels, tickets up to $300 per day (5 minutes allowed below 32F, 20 minutes below 20F, zero for layovers) under Air Management Regulation IX, Section III. (Code 12-1127 is a separate 3-minute general-vehicle limit.) |
| Rhode Island RI | 5 consecutive minutes in any 60-minute period Statewide | Up to $100 first, up to $500 after | None notable |
| South Carolina SC | 10 minutes in any 60-minute period Statewide | $75 per offense | None notable |
| South Dakota SD | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | None notable |
| Tennessee TN | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | None notable |
| Texas TX | 5 consecutive minutes, only in cities and counties that enforce it locally Local / none | Set by each local government | Roughly 37 cities (Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso and others) and 10 counties enforce a 5-minute limit — most now through their own municipal ordinances. Only about 7 cities (Houston, Austin, El Paso, Plano, Mesquite, Corinth, Terrell) and 2 counties (Travis, Bastrop) hold a current TCEQ enforcement agreement (MOA). |
| Utah UT | No statewide limit Local / none | Local: Salt Lake City $50 to $210 | Salt Lake City: 2 minutes, $50 to $210 (SLC Code 12.58) |
| Vermont VT | 5 minutes in any 60-minute period Statewide | Up to $10, then $50, then $100 | Burlington limits idling to 3 minutes citywide (Code of Ordinances 20-55(e)); exemptions for reefer units, repairs, equipment work, and occupant health/safety; $12 fine. |
| Virginia VA | 10 minutes for diesel trucks in commercial or residential urban areas Statewide | Up to $32,500 per violation (each day a separate offense); enforcement is rare | Fairfax County: any mobile source may not idle more than 3 minutes after it stops doing its work (Fairfax County Code 103-3-10(b)); penalty up to $1,000, with no 10-minute diesel allowance stated in the county code. |
| Washington WA | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | Some Puget Sound cities encourage idle reduction, but none enforce a fixed time limit. |
| West Virginia WV | 15 minutes in any 60-minute period Statewide | Misdemeanor, $150 to $300 plus court costs | None notable |
| Wisconsin WI | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide (Madison: roughly $25 to $200) | Madison: 5 consecutive minutes for all motor vehicles on public or private property; waived below 20F or above 90F; exemptions for auxiliary equipment / reefer units, service or repair, traffic, and emergencies; fines roughly $25 to $200, escalating for repeats (Madison Gen. Ord. 12.1291). |
| Wyoming WY | No statewide limit Local / none | None statewide | Rawlins (I-80): idling while parked limited to 20 minutes, attended or unattended (Municipal Code 10.03.070); misdemeanor citation and possible tow; APU-equipped commercial vehicles and emergency vehicles exempt, and the rule is suspended when area highways are closed. |
Sources: EPA Compilation of State, County, and Local Anti-Idling Regulations; US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center; ATRI Idling Compendium; state statutes. Last reviewed July 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the state agency before you rely on a figure.
03
APUs and weight
The APU weight allowance
Most states that limit idling write the rule against the main engine, so an APU running with the main engine off keeps you legal. To make APUs easier to carry, many states let an APU-equipped truck run a few hundred pounds over the gross or axle limit to offset the unit's weight, commonly 400 or 550 pounds. The exact figure is on each state page.
Idling Law FAQ
Which states have truck idling laws?
About a dozen states plus Washington DC enforce a statewide idling limit on commercial diesel trucks. As of this writing that group includes California, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, Hawaii, Illinois (in certain counties), South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Texas (in cities that opted in), Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland, Delaware, and DC. Many other states have no statewide rule but do have city ordinances, so check the state page before you park.
What is the most common idling limit?
Five minutes is the most common cap, usually measured in any 60-minute period. Some states are stricter (3 minutes in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Delaware), and a few are looser (10 minutes in South Carolina and Illinois, 15 in Nevada and West Virginia). Cold-weather and sleeper-berth exemptions vary widely.
Does an APU count as idling?
In most states that limit idling, the rule is written against the main propulsion engine, so running an auxiliary power unit with the main engine off is the standard way to comply. Several states (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Vermont, Illinois) name APUs as an allowed alternative outright. Many states also let an APU-equipped truck run a few hundred pounds over the weight limit to offset the unit.
Can I idle to stay warm or cool while I sleep?
It depends on the state. Some allow sleeper-berth heat or AC during rest, often only outside a temperature band (for example below 40F or above 75F) or away from homes and schools. Others, like Massachusetts, have no sleeper-berth exemption at all. The safest bet in a strict state is an APU or a bunk heater. Check the state page for the exact terms.
How is this different from hours-of-service rules?
Hours of service (FMCSA) governs how long you can drive and when you must rest. Idling laws are separate state air-quality and traffic rules about running a parked engine. You can be fully legal on hours of service and still get an idling ticket.
04
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