As mentioned in the topic 'Attendance Policy' most states have an idling law. Everyone needs to check their state and in some cases county law as well. Every state varies. In New Jersey we have had one in place for three years now. Given some of the buses we have are not the best maintained the law is hard to follow.

NJ is 3 minutes. The only exemption is if the vehicle is stopped for 3 hours or more at a temp below 25 F degrees you are allowed 15 minutes. The fines 1st $100, 2nd $200, 3rd $500, 4th and all subsequent $1,500 each.

This is what the experts have to say to justify all of this:

Even in cold weather, electronically-controlled engines take no more than 30 seconds to warm up, and most engine manufacturers’ warranties guarantee that their engines will warm up in three minutes or less. In colder temperatures, engines that are not electronically controlled warm up within 5 minutes. For these vehicles, the 15-minute limit allows enough time for this to occur.

They obviously have not seen the real clunkers we are forced to drive. Ours are retired at 12 years. By that time some are literally falling apart.