Did you know that technically it is illegal to warm up your car in the morning in New Jersey?

The “No Idling” law has been in effect for the state for years, but officials say that many New Jerseyans are guilty of doing it.

The law states that it is illegal to leave a car running for more than three minutes if the temperature outside is above 25 degrees. If the temperature is below 25 degrees, then it is illegal to leave a car running for more than 15 minutes if the car has been off for three or more hours.

Violators could face a $250 fine.

"People going into stores, usually the morning time to get that cup of coffee and they think only a couple of seconds, it's not a big deal,” says Jersey City Police Lt. Kevin Kot.

Police say that the law is about safety. They say that cars left running are often stolen.

“Probably about a third of the vehicles stolen in Jersey City are because the keys are left in the ignition while the car is running,” Kot says.

Kot says that newer cars run a lot quieter when they are running, so the exhaust coming out is a dead giveaway that the car is on.

The law does not apply to cars stopped in traffic, emergency response vehicles and certain tractor trailers.