Is it legal to leave your car running to warm up in Missouri or Kansas? What laws say [The Kansas City Star]

As the weather turns colder, you may dread getting into your chilly car in the morning.

For many drivers, that means leaving your car to “warm up” in the driveway or along the street is tempting — especially when temperatures dip below freezing. But is leaving your car idling while you warm up inside actually legal?

Kansas and Missouri law both restrict this practice, with experts warning that it makes your vehicle an attractive target for car thieves.

With your keys in the ignition, stealing your car is as easy as climbing 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 ten cities for vehicle theft last year.

Here’s what we found in each state’s laws about leaving your vehicle running.

Is it legal to leave your car running unattended in Missouri?

Missouri has no state laws preventing you from leaving your car running while unattended. However, Kansas City has its own ordinance prohibiting the practice.

“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 (and) effectively setting the brake,” the city code states.

It goes on to specify that “stopping the engine” can mean doing so by removing the key or by using a “remote starter system,” as long as the doors of the vehicle are locked. It also instructs drivers to angle their front wheels towards the curb when parking on a hill.

Leaving a vehicle unattended on someone else’s property without permission is illegal in Missouri, and can result in law enforcement ordering it to be towed after 48 hours. However, this law doesn’t distinguish between an idling car and a parked car.

The state also places restrictions on idling for “heavy duty diesel vehicles” like trucks and buses in the Kansas City area, including Jackson, Clay and Platte counties. These vehicles can idle for no longer than five minutes in any 60-minute period — a measure intended to improve air quality.

Is it legal to leave your car running unattended in Kansas?

Leaving your vehicle running while unattended in Kansas isn’t allowed — but there are some exceptions.

Kansas law states that “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, (and) effectively setting the brake.” It also instructs drivers to turn their front wheels towards the curb when they are stopped on a hill.

If you’re removing snow or ice from your car, having it running should be fine — because you aren’t leaving it “unattended.” But if you’re not there, the law specifies that the car must be turned off.

However, it goes on to carve out an exception to this rule for vehicles with a remote starting mechanism or a “warming mode” available in some newer cars.

“Unattended shall not be construed to mean a motor vehicle with an engine that has been activated by a remote starter system, when the motor vehicle is locked and when the ignition keys are not in the motor vehicle,” the law states.

If your car has these anti-theft protections, leaving it idling doesn’t violate the statute.

Johnson and Wyandotte Counties also have restrictions on idling for heavy-duty diesel vehicles in order to reduce air pollution.

Do you have more questions about transportation in the Kansas City area? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.

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