Anti-Idling Laws in the United States

Not too long ago, we wrote about Washington state implementing a limit to idling for heavy-duty trucks, saying “The Evergreen State is giving California a run for its money with a new bill being debated in its state Senate.” We would like to now issue a retraction, as California is among many states that already have an anti-idling law in place.

Details

Here are the states that have anti-idling laws and the lengths for idling before it becomes a problem, with five states forbidding even a single minute!

• Arizona (5 minutes).
• California (5 minutes).
• Oregon (5 minutes).
• Nevada (15 minutes).
• Idaho (No idling allowed).
• Colorado (5 minutes).
• North Dakota (5 minutes).
• Illinois (No idling allowed).
• Alabama (No idling allowed).
• Georgia (15 minutes).
• Florida (5 minutes).
• South Carolina (10 minutes).
• North Carolina (5 minutes).
• Virginia (3 minutes).
• West Virginia (15 minutes).
• Maryland (5 minutes).
• Pennsylvania (5 minutes).
• New York (5 minutes).
• New Jersey (10 minutes).
• Connecticut (No idling allowed).
• Rhode Island (5 minutes).
• Massachusetts (5 minutes).
• Vermont (5 minutes).
• New Hampshire (5 minutes).
• Maine (5 minutes).
• Alaska (10 minutes).
• Hawaii (No idling allowed).

Conclusion

More than half of the states in the nation have some sort of anti-idling law giving an amount of how many minutes in an hour can be used while the truck is turned on and at a standstill.

At the same time, however, there are exemptions to most of these rules. For a standard rule of thumb, if the temperature outside makes for an unsafe environment in the inside of the cabin, hot or cold, the truck is allowed to idle to generate the energy needed to bring the cabin to a safer climate. This is especially helpful in states with more extreme weather such as Arizona and Alaska.

In the most general of terms, the idling laws have no effect on the average trucker: most stops are for traffic lights that total to fewer than five minutes over the course of an hour, but information on knowing where it is important to turn off the vehicle at a light or during a heavy traffic jam could prevent future fines.

ABOUT TOPMARK FUNDING

TopMark Funding is a top-rated semi-truck financing and trailer financing company located in Roseville, CA. We specialize in commercial trucking and heavy equipment. Our mission is to become your long-term financial partner by helping you grow your trucking business and fleet.

We’re not here for the short-term, we’re on the long-haul with you!

We have financing options for trailers, semi-trucks, commercial trucks, and small businesses. We have great rates, low down payments, and flexible monthly payments regardless of credit history.

Learn more about Trailer Financing.

Fill out the contact form or give us a call at (866) 627-6644. One of our truck financing specialists will contact you as soon as possible to go over your truck lease needs and learn more about you and your business financing goals.