Exhaust from internal combustion engines is the single largest source of air pollution in Washington, DC and the surrounding areas. Vehicle exhaust fouls the air with carbon monoxide, erodes buildings and monuments, and is a key ingredient in ground-level ozone or "smog." In short, car, truck and bus exhaust presents a hazard to health and property.

To protect the people that live and work in Washington and visitors that come to the Nation's Capital each year, the Council of the District of Columbia has passed a regulation prohibiting engine idling.

The regulation states that vehicles must not idle for more than three minutes while parked, unless the outside temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below or there are 12 or more people on a bus which is operating air conditioning equipment.

The Compliance and Enforcement Branch of the District of Columbia Environmental Regulation Administration actively enforces this regulation. Any organization that owns and/or operates a bus seen violating this regulation will be issued a civil infraction ticket for $50. Once a company is convicted of violating the engine regulation, the fine on subsequent idling tickets will be double the amount of the previous fine.

The District of Columbia Environmental Regulation Administration requests that all bus operators observe the engine idling regulation while visiting the District of Columbia. Your cooperation is appreciated.

Below is the engine idling regulation as it appears in Title 20 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations.

900 ENGINE IDLING

900.1 The engine of a gasoline or diesel powered motor vehicle, including private passenger vehicles, on public or private space shall not idle for more than three (3) minutes while the motor vehicle is parked, stopped or standing, except as follows: