01/22/2025
Vehicle Safety:
We want to remind you that you could face a serious fine for warming up your vehicle in Wisconsin.
It's not a statewide law like it is in Illinois, but two major Wisconsin cities and a couple of smaller ones have ordinances against letting your car warm up.
It might sound ridiculous, but it's smarter than you think. At least five Wisconsin cities, including the capital, have an ordinance against warming up your car.
Of course, helping the environment is one excuse for why cities have such ordinances, but the main reason is to cut down on thefts.
If you do the "old school way" of warming up your car by using your keys or fob in the vehicle when your NOT in it, in Milwaukee, Madison, Eau Claire, La Crosse, or Chippewa Falls, you could get in serious trouble with the police. Most of these ordinances state you cannot let your vehicle idle unattended or by leave your keys in the ignition while the car is started and unlocked.
There is good news though. By having an automatic remote starter in your vehicle, you could avoid breaking the law in those Wisconsin cities.
Regardless of whether you live in these locations or not, everyone should know that the biggest punishment you could receive for warming up your car… is theft.
So, if you get caught warming up your vehicle by police in certain Wisconsin cities, you could get a fine EVEN if your car is stolen!
In Madison, your first fine could range from $50 to $200. In Eau Claire if you warm up your car unattended and get caught, you could face a fine of $213.Police in La Crosse have issued tickets for people warming up their vehicles. A ticket there is $114.