Is it illegal to leave a car running in SC to warm up if it’s freezing outside? What the law says
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As freezing morning weather returns to South Carolina, starting your car early to warm it up for work seems sensible.
But it could be illegal.
A freeze warning hit multiple South Carolina counties Thursday morning, following a rapid drop in temperatures the previous two days. When cold weather returns, it’s inevitable that many early commuters will start their vehicles a few minutes before leaving to warm them up. However in South Carolina, such an act is not always legal.
SC law regarding unattended vehicles
South Carolina law is fairly clear on the matter. It is illegal for owners to leave their vehicles idling unattended.
“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 and effectively setting the brake thereon and, when standing upon any grade, turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway,” the law states.
How many vehicles are stolen in SC?
The reasoning for the no idling law is to prevent children or disabled elderly from getting behind the wheel and potentially harming someone, but it’s also to prevent theft, officials say.
South Carolina had more 15,345 vehicle thefts in 2022 — a rate of 290.48 thefts per 100,000 people, according to statistics from the National Insurance Crime Bureau. That placed South Carolina 17th among states with the most vehicle thefts last year.
Here are the 10 states with the most vehicle thefts in 2022.
- Colorado: 42,706
- District of Columbia: 4,703
- Washington: 46,990
- Oregon: 22,934
- New Mexico: 11,424
- California: 203,018
- Missouri: 29,815
- Nevada: 15,279
- Texas: 105,133
- Tennessee: 23,830
This story was originally published November 3, 2023 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Is it illegal to leave a car running in SC to warm up if it’s freezing outside? What the law says."
