Leaving your engine running in Wales could now cost you £150
Drivers in Wales who leave their vehicle engines running while stationary face fines of up to £150 from 30 September 2026 under regulations signed into law last week.
The fine replaces a £20 penalty that had been in place for more than 20 years.
Flintshire County Council has not yet set or published what it will charge.
Under the new rules, local authorities across Wales can set their own penalty anywhere within a range of £75 to £150.
They can also set different amounts depending on the circumstances of the offence, including how close the idling vehicle is to schools, nurseries, or healthcare centres.
A council must publish its chosen amount on its website before any fines can be issued.
Drivers only commit an offence under the existing law if they refuse to switch off their engine after being asked to do so by an authorised person.
The late payment charge has also changed.
Under the previous rules, failing to pay the £20 penalty on time resulted in a charge of £40.
Under the new regulations, the surcharge is 50 per cent of whatever fixed penalty the council has set.
Revenue from the fines must be spent on enforcing the regulations, improving air quality, or reducing public exposure to transport emissions.
The Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 were signed by Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies MS on 4 March 2026, the day after the Senedd voted to approve them.
Welsh Conservatives and Reform voted against.
Sam Rowlands MS, for the Welsh Conservatives, said the increase was disproportionate.
He said: “At a time when families are already facing rising costs, increasing fixed penalties for stationary idling from £20 to as much as £150 sends a very clear message that drivers are just an easy target for this Government.”
He argued that an inflation-linked rise on the original £20 penalty would have produced a fine of £36.
James Evans MS, for Reform, described the increase as “over a 200 per cent increase” and said drivers may have legitimate reasons to leave an engine running, including health reasons and demisting windscreens.
Huw Irranca-Davies MS said he was “genuinely disappointed” by the Conservative position and told the Senedd the regulations were a public health measure, not an anti-motorist one.
He listed health impacts linked to traffic-related air pollution including restricted lung development in children, asthma, heart disease, and dementia.
Jenny Rathbone MS, Labour, said she regularly asks drivers idling near primary schools to switch off their engines and that roughly half refuse, including when their own children are present.
She said: “£150 is the minimum, in my view, that should be paid where somebody refuses to turn off and is not understanding that this is a major public health issue.”
The Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee considered the draft regulations on 23 February 2026 and flagged an incorrect reference to a sub-paragraph in the drafting.
The Welsh Government accepted the point and confirmed it would correct the error before the regulations were made.
Huw Irranca-Davies MS told the Senedd that guidance to help local authorities enforce the regulations would be developed, but said that work would fall to the next Welsh Government.
The Senedd election takes place in May 2026.
Flintshire County Council must set and publish its penalty amount before enforcement can begin on 30 September.
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