Living rule book
NYC idling and vehicle rules on a school block
Each number marks a rule. Pick a number to zoom in and read the rule with its official source. Open it to read the full rule page.
- Not allowed
- Allowed
- What the rule is about
- Distance in the rule
Plain-language summaries. The official text linked with each rule is the law. Not legal advice.
All rules on this street
The same rules as the drawing, in order.
1. Idling next to a school
Not allowed · NYC Admin Code § 24-163(f)
Next to a public or private K-12 school, or next to or inside a City park, an engine may not idle for longer than 1 minute while the vehicle is parked, standing or stopped, unless it runs a loading, unloading or processing device.
Official sources
Read the rule →2. Neighbors can file idling complaints
Allowed · NYC Admin Code § 24-182(a), (d), (e)
Any person may file a complaint with the Department of Environmental Protection, with evidence, about an idling truck or bus. If the Department’s case, built on new evidence from the person, leads to a penalty, the person gets 25% of the amount collected; if the person brings the case, 50%.
Official sources
Read the rule →3. School bus exceptions
Allowed · NYC Admin Code § 24-163(f)
Next to a school, a school bus may idle only as far as needed for mechanical work, to keep a suitable temperature for passengers, or to run a wheelchair lift in an emergency evacuation.
Official sources
Open the official source →4. Engine running a lift gate
Allowed · NYC Admin Code § 24-163(a), (f)
The idling limits do not apply while the engine is used to run a loading, unloading or processing device, such as a lift gate. A truck that only waits with its engine on gets no such exception.
Official sources
Read the rule →5. Idling: 3 minute limit
Not allowed · NYC Admin Code § 24-163(a)
No one may let a vehicle’s engine idle for longer than 3 minutes while it is parked, standing or stopped, unless the engine runs a loading, unloading or processing device. Emergency vehicles are exempt.
Official sources
Read the rule →6. Abandoned car
Not allowed · NYC Admin Code § 16-122(c), (e), (f)
No one may abandon a motor vehicle on a public street, or take it apart or remove its parts there. The owner or driver of a disabled vehicle has a reasonable time, not over 3 hours, to remove it.
Official sources
Open the official source →7. Covered or unreadable plate
Not allowed · 34 RCNY § 4-08(j)(2), (j)(10)
A parked or standing vehicle must show its current plates, securely fastened, clean and readable. A plate may not be covered by glass, plastic or any material that hides it or distorts a photo of it.
Official sources
Open the official source →8. Visible exhaust smoke
Not allowed · NYC Admin Code § 24-143
A vehicle’s engine may not give off visible exhaust while the vehicle is stopped for longer than 10 seconds in a row, or after it has moved without stopping for more than 90 yards.
Official sources
Read the rule →
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