Breaking this New York City law could cost you up to $2K in just 3 minutes
NEW YORK (PIX11) — In New York City, there is a law that only takes one to three minutes to break.
It is called idling. You’ve probably seen it before a vehicle parked on the side of the road, still running. Well, if that vehicle has been there for longer than three minutes, you can be fined up to $2,000 in accordance with the New York City Administrative Code, Title 24, Section 24-163.
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The law’s simple. Three minutes is the time a vehicle is legally allowed to be left idling, while that number drops to one minute when next to a school, according to the city’s website.
The city listed a few exceptions to the law:
When the temperature is less than 40 degrees F (for vehicles having a seating capacity of 15 or more passengers, such as a bus)
When the engine is powering a loading, unloading, or processing device
When the vehicle is a legally authorized emergency vehicle, such as an ambulance
The law is enforced by the Department of Environmental Protection with fines starting as low as $350.
You can report an idling vehicle here.
Jonathan Rizk is a digital journalist who has covered local news in New York City and Washington, D.C. He has been with PIX11 since August 2022. See more of his work here, and follow him on X and Facebook @OfficialRizk. Get in touch at jonathan.rizk@pix11.com.
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