Illinois idling law: the 10-minute per hour rule

What the law says

A person that operates a motor vehicle operating on diesel fuel in an affected area may not cause or allow the motor vehicle, when it is not in motion, to idle for more than a total of 10 minutes within any 60 minute period

625 ILCS 5/11-1429(c)

Who and what it covers

The rule covers diesel vehicles only, and only those rated 8,000 lbs GVWR or more, because lighter vehicles are exempted by (c)(1); gasoline vehicles and passenger cars are outside it. The 10 minutes are a total within any 60-minute period. Between 32°F and 80°F, a truck waiting to weigh, load or unload may idle up to 30 minutes in any 60-minute period unless it is in a line that regularly moves forward (§11-1429(d)). The owner of a vehicle rented or leased to someone else is not liable (§11-1429(f)).

Exemptions

• Vehicles with a GVWR of less than 8,000 lbs (§11-1429(c)(1))
• Outdoor temperature below 32°F or above 80°F (c)(16)
• On-highway traffic, a traffic control device or signal, or a law enforcement official’s direction (c)(2); mechanical difficulties beyond the operator’s control (c)(11)
• Defrosters, heaters, air conditioners or other equipment run solely to prevent a safety or health emergency (c)(3)
• Auxiliary equipment for the vehicle’s intended use, such as loading, unloading, mixing or processing cargo or controlling cargo temperature, but not cabin comfort, microwaves or televisions (c)(7)
• Sleeper berths while the operator is occupying the vehicle during a rest or sleep period and needs heat or air conditioning (c)(10)
• Buses: up to 15 minutes in any 60-minute period for passenger comfort with non-driver passengers on board (c)(9); public transit buses on or between designated routes (c)(13)
• Emergency and law enforcement vehicles in an emergency or training mode (c)(4); armored vehicles (c)(8); airport ground support equipment (c)(12); electric utility restoration and repair (c)(15)
• Maintenance, servicing, repair, diagnostics and government inspections that require idling (c)(5), (c)(6); implements of husbandry exempt from registration (c)(14)
• Idling while being operated by a remote starter system (c)(17); APUs and generator sets are not prohibited (e)

Penalties

A violation is a petty offense: $90 for the first conviction and $500 for a second or subsequent conviction within any 12-month period (§11-1429(g)). Of the $90, $20 goes to the law enforcement agency that issued the citation; of the $500, that agency receives $262.50 (§11-1429(h)).

Who enforces it, and how to report

Section 11-1429 is part of the Illinois Vehicle Code and is enforced by police through citations; the issuing agency keeps part of each fine. On paid truck-parking lots in suburban Cook County, either the police with jurisdiction over the neighboring residential area or the police with jurisdiction over the lot may enforce (§11-1429(j)). In Chicago, the city page says its own ordinance can be enforced by Department of Public Health inspectors, traffic control aides, parking enforcement aides and police officers.

Report a diesel truck idling past the limit to the local police department’s non-emergency line in the county where it is parked. For a suburban Cook County paid truck lot within 200 feet of homes, either the police department covering the homes or the one covering the lot can act. In Chicago, the City’s idling page lists Department of Public Health inspectors, traffic control aides, parking enforcement aides and police officers as the enforcers of §9-80-095.

Local rules in Illinois

• Chicago: Any diesel-powered motor vehicle, with no weight threshold, may not stand with the engine running for more than a total of three minutes within any sixty-minute period. Exemptions include emergency vehicles, airport support equipment, auxiliary equipment, service and inspection, traffic, heat below 32°F or air conditioning above 80°F for safety, APUs, mechanical difficulties, and automatic diesel particulate filter regeneration. Fine: $250 (§9-100-020 schedule). (Chicago Municipal Code §9-80-095; §9-100-020)
• Suburban Cook County paid truck lots (state law): On property that offers paid parking, does not dispense fuel, and lies in an affected area “within a county of over 3 million residents but outside of a municipality of over 2 million residents” (in practice, suburban Cook County), a diesel vehicle of 8,000 lbs GVWR or more within 200 feet of a residential area may not idle more than 10 minutes in any 60-minute period “under any circumstances,” so the temperature and sleeper-berth exemptions do not apply. School buses, waste haulers, IDOT facilities, utility repair vehicles and ambulances are excluded. Fine: $90 first, $500 repeat within 12 months. (625 ILCS 5/11-1429(j), (g))

History

The section’s source note lists its latest amendments as P.A. 101-319, effective January 1, 2020, and P.A. 102-1071, effective June 10, 2022. Chicago’s City Council added §9-80-095 in 2009 (Council Journal 10-7-09) and last amended it December 20, 2025.

Reporting in Illinois is unpaid. The only program that pays complainants is New York City's.