Don’t Forget, It’s Illegal To Cool Off Your Car In Illinois

We're getting into the roasty toasty season.

Hope we all had a fun winter complaining about being cold so we can now have a fun summer complaining about being hot.

According to our pals at KWQC, a warmup is in store for us, with several highs being in the 80's over the next several days. While I love that, it's evident that the hot weather is right around the corner.

Since the inside of cars can reach what feels like the earth's core temperature, it really helps to get the A/C on in the car before we have to drive in it.

As tempting as cooling off your car is in the summer, unless you have an automatic start or plan to sit in the car while it's running, do not cool off your car in the state of Illinois.

The Law

If police catch you cooling off your car without being in it, you may be tapping into your bank account to pay a fine. Back in 2017, Illinois lawmakers passed this law making it illegal for people to essentially 'cool off' their cars:

According to the Illinois General Assembly:

(625 ILCS 5/11-1401) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-1401)
    Sec. 11-1401. Unattended motor vehicles. Except for a law enforcement officer or an operator of an authorized emergency vehicle performing his or her official duties, 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, effectively setting the brake thereon and, when standing upon any perceptible grade, turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway. An unattended motor vehicle shall not include an unattended locked motor vehicle with the engine running after being started by a remote starter system.

So basically, you can't cool off your car or let it idle without someone in the driver's seat unless you are a police officer, an authorized emergency vehicle, or have an automatic start system installed in your vehicle.

The Fines Though

When it comes to getting caught cooling off your car in Illinois, there isn't an exact dollar amount for a fine. Some articles say it's upwards of $100, some said $125, and others claim it's $250. All of it's money we don't want to spend on this.

But what we all really need to remember is that the ultimate fine anyone could face on either side of the Quad Cities when they leave their car unattended is car theft.

Summer Means More Crime

Unfortunately, that's real life.

In 2020, because of the rising numbers of car thefts throughout the Quad Cities, over 20 law enforcement agencies, including the Illinois State Police, Iowa State Patrol, and the Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island, and East Moline Police Departments started the #LockItDownQC campaign.

According to the official Lock It Down QC website,

The mission of Lock It Down QC is to prevent auto theft in the Quad City Area. Lock It Down QC is a cooperative effort of Iowa and Illinois Quad City Area law enforcement agencies.

1. Never leave your car running, even if you have your key fob.
2. Always lock your car.
3. Never leave your keys in your car.

You can find more information and tips about #LockItDownQC here.