Is it Illegal to Idle Your Car in Indiana?

It's beginning to heat up in Indiana, and who wants to sit in a hot vehicle? Nobody!

Temperatures are rising in Indiana. Before you know it, we will be in the middle of the heat of the summer. A parked car can become significantly hotter than the outside temperature, with interior temperatures potentially rising by 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit within an hour! Think about it, if it's 90 degrees outside on a sunny day, the inside of a car could reach 138 degrees or higher within 90 minutes, according to Scott's Auto. That's why, much like in the winter when folks warm up their vehicles, people will go outside and crank up their AC so that their vehicle isn't miserably hot.

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Fun fact for you, in Illinois, it's actually illegal to warm up or cool off your vehicle. According to Eyewitness News:

Illinois law states, “no person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand unattended without first stopping the engine, locking the ignition, removing the key from the ignition, effectively setting the brake thereon and, when standing upon any perceptible grade, turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway.”
Violators can be fined as much as $100 or more.

So, does Indiana have a similar law?

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Is it Illegal to Cool Off Your Car During the Summer in Indiana?

Several states along with many counties and cities, have laws that limit the amount of time you can idle your vehicle. Some of these laws say that you can only idle your car for no more than three minutes. Punishments range from written warnings to fines that could cost you thousands of dollars, according to the American Transportation Research Institute. Below, you will find a list of states where it is illegal to idle your car:

Arizona
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Kansas
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia

As you can see, if you live in Indiana, you have no laws against warming up your vehicle during cold winter days. That being said, idling your car for prolonged periods of time is still harmful to the environment.

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Warming Up Your Car in Indiana is Harmful to the Environment

Letting your car idle like that to wait for it to get cool inside does play a role in the environment. According to IN.gov:

Only ten minutes of idling per day adds more than 50 pounds of carbon monoxide, particles, nitrogen oxides, and other toxic gases to the air per year. If you idle more than 30 seconds, your car will emit more air pollution than if you turn it off and on again.

IN.gov goes on further to say:

Cars are not designed to run for extended periods of time at idle. Idling causes unnecessary wear and tear on your engine and actually results in deposits of fuel residues on your engine's cylinder walls that can contaminate oil and damage components.

That being said, nobody wants to burn their rear end on a hot leather seat, and be more comfortable before getting in the vehicle than while driving. That's assuming that your air conditioner actually works well. Since it's not illegal to cool off your car in Indiana, you don't have to worry about paying any kind of fine, so the decision to cool off your car and be comfortable or help the environment (or the life of your vehicle) is up to you!