Elizabeth, NJ Environmental Rules: Vehicle Idling Restrictions (2026)

020(B)(13), Standing Motor Vehicles, is written into the noise chapter rather than an air-quality chapter, so it regulates idling as a noise source: it bars operating or permitting the operation of the motor of any motor vehicle whose manufacturer's gross weight is in excess of ten thousand pounds or any attached auxiliary equipment for a period longer than three minutes in any hour while the vehicle is stationary on a public right-of-way in a residential district or designated quiet zone, or on private property in a residential, industrial or business zone, unless the vehicle is within a completely enclosed structure or the noise is adequately baffled.

The three-minute-per-hour limit applies specifically to heavy vehicles above the 10,000-pound threshold, and reaches auxiliary equipment such as refrigeration units and power take-offs, not just the drive engine. 020(A). 030, marked with signs near schools, hospitals, nursing homes and courts in session, extend the idling limit even into non-residential areas adjacent to those uses. 060, while idling on private property is subject to concurrent police and bureau-of-health jurisdiction.