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Georgia used to have a state law<\/u><\/a> that made it unlawful to leave your car engine running, but it was repealed by the legislature in July 2007.<\/p>\n Thankfully, with the onset of colder weather<\/a>, it is totally legal to leave your car running on private property, but there are some exceptions.<\/p>\n There is no statewide ban on leaving the car running, but depending on where you live, local ordinances can vary.<\/p>\n Columbus dropped its idle-related laws in 1978<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Atlanta limits idle time<\/a> to 15 minutes (25 minutes if it is below 32\u2109). Penalties can be up to $500<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n It is also illegal to leave a child<\/u>,<\/a> and in some areas a pet, in a car and can sometimes be prosecuted as \u201creckless conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n According to Consumer Reports<\/u>,<\/a> letting your car run for longer than it takes to warm up and defog the windows is unnecessary.<\/p>\n A car\u2019s engine is fully lubricated to run smoothly in winter within 20 to 30 seconds, so the myth that it needs a while to get ready to run is untrue. Experts advise the quickest way to warm your car is to drive it.<\/p>\n Despite any instructions you may have inherited from the cautionary tales, letting your car idle for longer than a minute or so is unnecessary and wasteful.<\/p>\nExceptions to free idling laws<\/h2>\n
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How long should you let your car run?<\/h2>\n