Idling By-law
The City of Vaughan has Idling By-law 170-2004, as amended, which is posted in the By-law Library, which addresses the operation of motor vehicle engines while the vehicle is not in motion.
By-law overview
The intent of the Idling By-law is to reduce the amount of air pollution that hydrocarbon-fuelled motor vehicles release into the environment, by minimizing the time that the engine is running. The by-law applies to the entire City of Vaughan and generally prohibits motor vehicles from 'idling' for more than five minutes, i.e., operating the vehicle engine while the vehicle is not driving.
Exemptions to this idling provision include:
| Area | what is exempt from the idling by-law prohibitions |
|---|---|
| Emergency Services and Emergency Assistance | police, fire or ambulance motor vehicles while working or training, except where idling is mainly for the convenience of the operator of the motor vehicle vehicles assisting in emergencies |
| Training | mobile training courses that require idling |
| Repair and maintenance | where Idling is required as part of a repair process or where is required for servicing |
| Armoured vehicles | armoured vehicles where a person remains inside the vehicle or is guarding the vehicle while it is being loaded or unloading |
| Conditions over which drivers have no control | motor vehicles that remain motionless because of an emergency, traffic or weather conditions or mechanical difficulties over which the driver has no control |
| Parades and races | motor vehicles engaged in a parade or race, or any other such event authorized by Council |
| Passengers embarking and disembarking | transit and passenger motor vehicles while passengers are embarking or disembarking en route or at terminals |
| Public transit vehicles | transit motor vehicles while at a layover or stopover location, except where idling is mainly for the convenience of the operator of the motor vehicle |
| Medical reasons | motor vehicles transporting a person who requires temperature and/or humidity to be in a certain range for medical reasons, as certified in writing by a physician |
| Heating and cooling | motor vehicles when the outside temperature is more 27°C or less than five degrees Celsius (5°C) and idling is necessary for operation of the air conditioning or heating equipment respectively |
Persons who are non-compliant with the by-law may be issued an administrative penalty of $50 or provincial fine.