Arlington County, VA Environmental Rules: Vehicle Idling Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Idling limit
- 10 minutes maximum for commercial vehicles
- Applies when
- parked, unattended or stopped
- Exception
- auxiliary equipment other than heat/AC
- Enforcing agency
- County Manager, § 15-4
- Fine range
- $250 first offense, $500 repeat
- Continuing violation
- each hour unabated is separate offense
Summary
Arlington County caps how long a commercial truck can sit idling. Code § 15-6.I makes it unlawful for an operator to run a commercial motor vehicle's propulsion engine for more than 10 minutes while the vehicle is parked, left unattended or stopped for reasons other than traffic or maintenance.
I. It shall be unlawful for any operator to run the propulsion engine of a commercial motor vehicle for more than ten (10) minutes when the vehicle is parked, left unattended, or is stopped for other than traffic or maintenance reasons, except when the propulsion engine provides auxiliary service other than heating or air conditioning.
Full Breakdown
" The rule targets the low-frequency drone and diesel exhaust that idling trucks generate outside homes, loading docks and construction sites, and it applies regardless of decibel level, unlike the Table I and Table II noise limits elsewhere in Chapter 15. The narrow exception covers auxiliary equipment, such as a refrigerated trailer's cooling unit or a bucket truck's hydraulic lift, but not heating or air conditioning for the cab. The County Manager administers Chapter 15 under § 15-4 and can inspect a vehicle in response to a complaint under § 15-8.
Enforcement runs through the civil citation process in § 15-10 rather than criminal court, and each hour the idling continues after a citation is issued counts as a new, separate offense rather than a single continuing violation.
Violations & Fines
A citation under § 15-10 carries a civil fine of up to $250 for a first offense and up to $500 for each later offense, payable to the County Treasurer. The County Manager can also seek an injunction from the Circuit Court against a repeat offender, and any hour the truck keeps idling after being cited is a new violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 10-minute idling rule apply to my personal car?
Can a delivery truck idle to keep its refrigerated trailer cold?
Who do I call to report a truck idling for over 10 minutes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington County
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