Vermont and other states have laws or regulations that restrict the idling of motor vehicles.
VERMONT STATE IDLING LAWS
Vermont Department of Education
School Bus Idling Rule
New State Board of Education rule 6001 effective May 1, 2008.
Authorizing legislation: 23 V.S.A. § 1282(f) Subject to state board of education rules, which may provide for limited idling, the operator of a school bus shall not idle the engine while waiting for children to board or to exit the vehicle at a school and shall not start the engine until ready to leave the school premises. The board, in consultation with the agency of natural resources, the department of health, and the department of motor vehicles, shall adopt rules to implement this subsection. The rules shall set forth periods or circumstances that reasonably require the idling of the engine, including periods when it is necessary to operate defrosting, heating, or cooling equipment to ensure the health or safety of the driver or passengers or to operate auxiliary equipment; and periods when the engine is undergoing maintenance or inspection. Effective Date: The rules required by this act shall take effect during the 2007–2008 academic year.
6001 State Board of Education Rule #6001 School Bus Idling
6002 Statutory Authority: 23 V .S.A. § 1282(f)
6003 Statement of Purpose
It is the purpose of these rules to implement 23 V.S.A. §1282(f) by providing for the limited idling of
school buses in specific circumstances.
6004 Definitions
The following definitions shall apply to these rules:
a. “School Bus” includes all vehicles operated by or for the district for the purpose of transporting the
district’s students to or from school or school-related activities, whether the vehicles are owned by
the district or contracted from vendors.
b. “School grounds” includes any area adjacent to school buildings and used at any time for school-
related activities, including parking lots, playing fields, and driveways.
c. “Idling” means the primary propulsion engine is running while the vehicle is stationary.
6005 Provisions The district shall communicate this rule to all parents, drivers, and staff. The provisions of this rule shall be incorporated into transportation contracts and agreements.
The employer of a school bus driver shall ensure that the driver is informed of the rule and any related district policy, and that all complaints of non-compliance are reviewed and that appropriate corrective actions are taken.
The operator of a school bus:
a. shall turn off the primary propulsion engine immediately upon arrival at
student loading or unloading areas on school grounds, and shall not restart the engine until the bus
is loaded or unloaded and is ready to depart; and
b. shall not otherwise idle the bus engine for more than five (5) minutes in a sixty (60) minute period
on school grounds.
The provisions of this rule shall not apply under the following conditions:
1. when the engine is required to operate special equipment for disabled persons;
2. when the engine is required to operate safety equipment other than lighting systems, such as
windshield defrosters, and the operation of the equipment is necessary at that time to address
specific safety, traffic, health, or emergency concerns; and
3. when the vehicle is being serviced and the operation of the engine is essential to the service
being performed.
For more information on Vermont's School Bus Idling Rule, visit the SCHOOLS page.
Vermont's Unattended Motor Vehicles Law
Enacted in 1973 to discourage vehicle theft but can also be applied toward idling enforcement. Many Vermonters are not aware that if leaving a vehicle unattended in public (such as going into a convenience store), the engine must be shut off. Police call the practice of leaving the car running while unattended, especially in cold weather, "puffing" - puffs of hot exhaust into cold air that acts like a beacon to would-be car thieves.
Title 23: Motor Vehicles
Chapter 13: OPERATION OF VEHICLES
23 V.S.A. § 1111. Unattended motor vehicle
§ 1111. Unattended motor vehicle
No person shall permit a motor vehicle to stand unattended without first stopping the engine, locking the ignition, removing the key from the ignition and effectively setting the brake, air temperatures permitting, and, when the vehicle is standing upon a grade, turning the front of the front wheels toward the curb or side of the highway. This section does not apply to authorized emergency vehicles. (Added 1971, No. 258 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. March 1, 1973.)
 Medium- and Heavy Duty Vehicle (10,000 pound or more) Idling Law or Regulation
Vermont is the lone New England and northeastern U.S. state without this type of law which includes mostly diesel commercial trucks.
OTHER VERMONT IDLING LAWS
Burlington's idling ordinance is the only Vermont municipality with an enforceable idling law.
Burlington Code of Ordinances, Sec. 20-55
(e) No person shall leave idling for more than three (3) minutes any motor vehicle in any area of the city, except in the following instances:
(1) Motors used to run refrigeration units may be left idling to permit uninterrupted refrigeration;
(2) A motor vehicle may be left idling if necessary for the repair of that vehicle;
(3) This provision shall not apply to motor vehicles which must be kept idling in order to install, maintain or repair equipment or infrastructure.
(4) This provision shall not apply in any situation in which the health or safety of a driver or passenger requires the idling of the vehicle.
STATES WITH ALL MOTOR VEHICLE IDLING LAWS
Five U.S. states have all motor vehicle (light-, medium- and heavy-duty) idling laws or regulations: Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia
Idle-Free VT advocates the following all motor vehicle idling law or regulation for Vermont
No person shall allow in the State of Vermont any motor vehicle that is designed to operate on public roads to idle in excess of three (3) consecutive minutes in any 60 minute period for gasoline and light-duty diesel vehicles; five (5) consecutive minutes in any 60 minute period for heavy-duty diesel vehicles, with the following exceptions:
(1) The vehicle is forced to remain motionless on a public road because of traffic conditions over which the operator has no control;
(2) The vehicle is being used as an emergency vehicle in an emergency situation;
(3) Required by a federal, state, or local law or official, but only to the extent necessary to comply with such requirement;
(4) The vehicle’s engine is providing auxiliary power for activities other than heating or air conditioning, such as loading, refrigeration (if not equipped with auxiliary thermal power), well drilling, or farming;
(5) Running the vehicle’s engine is necessary for maintenance, servicing, repair, or diagnostic purposes;
(6) Running the vehicle’s engine during adverse weather conditions is necessary to ensure the safe operation of the vehicle
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