Is it legal to leave your car running to warm up in Missouri or Kansas? What laws say

As the weather gets colder, you may find yourself dreading getting into your cool car in the morning.

For many drivers, this means it’s tempting to leave the car in the driveway or on the street to “warm up” – especially when temperatures drop below freezing. But is it even legal to leave your car idling while you warm up indoors?

Both Kansas and Missouri laws restrict this practice, and experts warn that it makes your vehicle an attractive target for car thieves.

With the keys in the ignition, stealing your car is as easy as getting in and driving away – and a recent report from the auto insurance fraud prevention group National Insurance Crime Bureau ranked Kansas City among the top 10 cities for vehicle thefts last year.

Here’s what we found in each state’s laws regarding operating your vehicle.

Is it legal to leave car running unattended in Missouri?

In Missouri, there are no state laws that prohibit you from leaving your car running unattended. However, Kansas City has its own ordinance banning the practice.

“No person driving or operating a motor vehicle may leave it unattended without first turning off the engine, locking the ignition, removing the key from the ignition (and effectively applying the brake”), the city code states.

It goes on to say that “stopping the engine” can mean removing the key or using a “remote starter” as long as the vehicle’s doors are locked. It also instructs the driver to tilt the front wheels toward the curb when parking on a hill.

Leaving a vehicle unattended on another person’s property without permission is illegal in Missouri and may result in law enforcement ordering the vehicle to be towed after 48 hours. However, this law does not distinguish between an idling car and a parked car.

The state also imposes idling restrictions on “heavy diesel vehicles,” such as trucks and buses, in the Kansas City area, including Jackson, Clay and Platte counties. These vehicles are not allowed to idle for more than five minutes in a 60-minute period – a measure to improve air quality.

Is it legal to leave car running unattended in Kansas?

Leaving your vehicle unattended is illegal in Kansas – although there are some exceptions.

Kansas law states: “No person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle shall allow it to remain unattended without first turning off the engine, locking the ignition, removing the key from the ignition (and) the brake It also instructs the driver to turn their front wheels toward the curb when stopping on an incline.

If you’re removing snow or ice from your car, it should be okay to leave it running – because you’re not leaving it “unattended.” However, if you are not there, the law requires that the car must be parked.

However, an exception to this rule is established for vehicles with a remote start mechanism or a “warm mode” in some newer vehicles.

“Unattended does not mean a motor vehicle with an engine activated by a remote starter system when the motor vehicle is locked and the ignition keys are not in the motor vehicle,” the law states.

If your car has this theft protection, leaving it idling is not against the law.

Johnson and Wyandotte counties also have idling restrictions on heavy diesel vehicles to reduce air pollution.

Have more questions about transportation in the Kansas City area? Ask the service journalism team at [email protected].