ST. LOUIS — Editor's note: A previous version of this story did not mention St. Louis County's ordinance that restricts motor vehicle idling. That ordinance has since been added.
The daily work commute will be getting more difficult and become more of a headache for drivers in the St. Louis area as temperatures continue to drop.
A long-held coping mechanism for early morning drivers has been trotting out to their vehicles and starting them early, so their cars are warm for their drive to work. However, in St. Louis City and St. Louis County, this small act of comfort could technically be illegal and land drivers with an unwelcome fine.
We dug into Missouri law to VERIFY:
The question
Are there restrictions on how long you can warm up your car in St. Louis?
Our sources
The answer
Yes, there are restrictions on motor vehicle idling in both St. Louis City and St. Louis County. However, other counties around the area have much more relaxed laws when it comes to idling.
What we found
The St. Louis Board of Aldermen approved a city ordinance in 2008 that regulated the idling of every motor vehicle within city limits. The ordinance specifies that no person can idle the engine of a motor vehicle for longer than five minutes in any given hour while parked, standing or stopped, Vehicles are allowed to idle for 10 minutes if temperatures are below freezing.
People found not following the ordinance could face a fine up to $100. It is the most strict idling law on the books in Missouri.
See the full ordinance here:
St. Louis County also has an ordinance in place that outlaws motor vehicles, other than emergency vehicles, from idling for longer than three minutes while parked, standing or stopped.
Numerous other counties in Missouri also restrict idling, but only for "heavy-duty diesel vehicles," or diesel-powered vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds, according to Missouri's Code of Regulations.
Missouri counties that restrict heavy-duty diesel vehicles include:
- St. Louis County
- St. Charles County
- Franklin County
- Jefferson County
- Jackson County
- Clay County
- Platte County
- Kansas City
We can VERIFY: Yes, it is technically illegal to "warm up" your car in St. Louis.
VERIFY
Have a question you want us to VERIFY? Email hbassler@ksdk.com or verify@ksdk.com with your claim.
Craving more VERIFY? See every St. Louis-area claim we've looked into here.