I know this seems like a ridiculous question.

But the answer is going to make your head spin.

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The New Jersey Department of Transportation has some pretty strict rules when it comes to warming up or idling your vehicle, even if it's in your own driveway.

If you don't follow these rules, it could cost you up to $250 and that's only for the first offense.

Take a look at N.J.A.C. 7:27-14,15.

It states:

All vehicles may idle for up to three minutes with the following exceptions:

  • May idle for up to 15 consecutive minutes when the vehicle has been stopped for 3 or more hours and ONLY if the temperature is <25 degrees F
  • Buses may idle while actively discharging or picking up passengers for 15 consecutive minutes in a 60-minute period
  • No idling is allowed in a parking space with available and functioning electrification technology

This is part of the Department's "Stop The Soot" campaign.

The DEP even provides a 24-hour hotline to report (rat on) people with an idling vehicle.

I will not be sharing that phone number here.

What kind of person reports another for warming up their car in THEIR OWN driveway?

I guess those kinds of people are out there because the hotline wouldn't exist if there weren't.

Think this is made-up hysteria?

Last year, my neighbor got an early morning visit from an officer and a nice $250 summons because she was warming her car up in her own driveway.

It had only been 10 minutes according to my neighbor.

If you can't take the ridiculous laws in New Jersey, here's where people are moving to the most.

NJ Residents are Moving to these 25 Cities

2021 NJ property taxes: See how your town compares

Find your municipality in this alphabetical list to see how its average property tax bill for 2021 compares to others. You can also see how much the average bill changed from 2020. For an interactive map version, click here. And for the full analysis by New Jersey 101.5, read this story.

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