State law file · verified June 2026
Pennsylvania idling law: the 5 minutes per hour rule
The Diesel-Powered Motor Vehicle Idling Act (Act 124 of 2008, effective February 2009) bars diesel vehicles of 10,001+ lbs GVWR engaged in commerce from idling more than 5 minutes in any continuous 60-minute period.
Exceptions that actually matter
- Traffic conditions and safety-related operation
- Certain sleeper-berth rest situations and maintenance circumstances defined in the Act
- Vehicles using approved idle-reduction alternatives
Penalties
Violations are summary offenses fined $150–$300 plus court costs; the Commonwealth can also issue enforcement orders and civil penalties. Unusually, the Act also reaches owners/operators of locations where covered vehicles load, unload, or park (15+ spaces).
Who enforces it — and how to report
State and local police plus Pennsylvania DEP; liability can extend to truck-stop and loading-dock operators, not just drivers.
Report persistent idling to the Pennsylvania DEP regional office for your county or to local police.
Can you get paid for reporting in Pennsylvania?
No. Pennsylvania has no citizen reward — complaints are civic, not paid. The only major program that pays complainants is New York City's idling bounty, where citizens keep 25% of collected fines and our enforcement data shows what that produces: hundreds of thousands of cases and an estimated eight-figure sum paid to filers. If a paid program launches in Pennsylvania, this page will say so.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pennsylvania’s truck idling law?
Act 124 of 2008 limits commercial diesel vehicles over 10,000 lbs to 5 minutes of idling per continuous 60-minute period, enforced by police and DEP, with $150–$300 summary fines — and the law also applies to operators of loading and parking locations.
Does Pennsylvania pay citizens for reporting idling trucks?
No — reports go to DEP regional offices or police with no reward. NYC remains the only program paying complainants a share (25%) of collected fines.
Sources
This summary was checked against the following official sources on the date shown above. Laws change — verify before relying on specifics.
- Act 124 of 2008 — statute text (PA General Assembly)
- PA DEP — Diesel Idling and Act 124 (agency page)
- PA DEP — Act 124 fact sheet (PDF)
Other state law files
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General legal information, not legal advice. Statutes and penalty schedules summarized from the sources above as of June 2026.