Can You Leave Your Car On While Pumping Gas? Fire Risk Facts

Turn the engine off. The owner’s manuals excerpted below from Kia, Hyundai, Mazda and Renault all say so, Virginia’s fire code for one requires it, and the best-documented pump fires come from static electricity, not from the engine. The Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI) found that about half of its 176 reports followed the driver getting back into the car mid-fill. This guide covers the incident data, the legal basis, hybrids and start-stop cars, and a safer fueling routine.

Safety Risks Of Leaving Car On

Gasoline gives off vapor that can ignite from a small spark, and a running engine adds electrical components that can make one. Kia’s 2026 hybrid manual says to always shut the engine off when refueling because sparks from engine-related electrical components can ignite fuel vapors, and Mazda’s 2016 CX-5 manual says to stop the engine and keep sparks and flames away from the filler neck. For the short version, our quick answer on leaving the car on covers the basics; this page goes into the sources.

Here is what four makers print on their fueling pages. Your own manual’s fueling section is the instruction that applies to your car.

Manual	Engine instruction	Other fueling steps
Kia 2026 hybrid and plug-in hybrid manual (code NQ5KH)	Always shut the engine off; sparks from engine-related electrical parts can ignite vapor	Touch bare metal away from the filler first; do not get back in; no phones; confirm the cap and door are closed before starting
Hyundai 2026 hybrid manual (code LX3HEV)	Shift to P, set the parking brake, press Engine Start/Stop to OFF	Note where the emergency fuel shut-off is; do not top off; avoid refueling while the high-voltage battery is charging
Mazda 2016 CX-5 manual	Stop the engine before refueling and keep sparks and flames away from the filler neck	Loosen the cap slightly and wait for hissing to stop; do not keep adding fuel after the nozzle shuts off
Renault Trafic manual (2024 to 2025 edition)	Engine must be off, not only on standby with Stop and Start; the manual calls it a fire hazard	Insert the nozzle fully before dispensing and keep it there during filling

No manual in the table treats an idling engine as acceptable at the pump.

The Real Reason Gas Stations Say “Turn Off Your Engine”

Pump-area rules treat a running engine as an ignition source to remove, in the same way they treat smoking. PEI’s background notes say that before September 1999 the only motor vehicle refueling fires it knew of were caused by an open flame such as smoking, a lack of electrical continuity between nozzle and dispenser, or a spark from the engine compartment of a vehicle with its motor running. So the engine-spark worry is not a myth. It is just not what explains the fires PEI collected afterward.

Static Electricity, Not Engine Sparks, Is the Documented Fire Cause

Starting in 2000, PEI collected refueling fires that appeared to be static related. By March 2010 it held 176 reports from 39 states and Washington, D.C., covering incidents from 1992 on. PEI states that in all of them it could verify that no open flames, running motors or electrical continuity problems were involved. Its summary says the likely mechanism is friction between clothing and the car seat charging the driver, followed by a discharge to the vehicle body, fuel cap or nozzle. PEI’s own Stop Static campaign boils the advice down to three rules: turn off the engine, do not smoke, and never re-enter your vehicle while refueling.

What PEI’s 176 reports show (1992 to March 2010)	Reports
Driver went back into the car, then touched the nozzle	87
Fire as the driver touched the gas cap area before fueling began	39
Fit neither pattern	about 30
Too little detail to classify	17
Reports in January, February and December combined	84 of 176 (48 percent)

Two more details from the PEI summary matter for habits. Where footwear was recorded, 94 percent of the people wore rubber-soled shoes, and PEI received no reports involving balance-system nozzles. Many of the written incident descriptions follow the same pattern: the nozzle was set to run on its own, the driver sat back in the car, often to get out of the cold, then got out and reached for the nozzle.

PEI rule 3: never re-enter your vehicle while refueling. Static builds on you, not on the engine, so shutting the engine off does not protect you if you climb back in. Source: Petroleum Equipment Institute, Stop Static campaign and its March 2010 incident summary.

How Common Are Pump Fires Today?

Rarely, but not never. NFPA research published in December 2020 estimates that local fire departments responded to an average of 4,150 fires per year at U.S. service station properties in 2014 through 2018, and 56 percent of them were vehicle fires. Only 2 percent of those vehicle fires started at the fuel tank or fuel line, which NFPA says suggests refueling was not a frequent cause. NFPA also quotes a 2016 PEI note that static-related refueling fires declined dramatically with onboard vapor recovery systems in passenger vehicles, and that PEI had received no new reports since 2010. PEI’s injury list from the earlier reports still ranges from singed hair to third-degree burns and includes at least one death, so a low rate is no reason to skip the routine.

Legal Regulations And Guidelines

Whether leaving the engine running is a citable offense depends on the fire code in force where you are. Virginia is one clear example. Its Statewide Fire Prevention Code, section 13VAC5-52-280 on the state’s administrative code site, rewrites the International Fire Code’s ignition-source rule so that smoking and open flames are prohibited within 20 feet of a fuel dispensing device and the engines of vehicles being fueled must be shut off during fueling (13VAC5-52-280, as listed in October 2026). The same section requires a posted emergency sign that tells people to use the emergency pump shutoff and report the accident.

Other states and cities adopt and word their fire codes differently, so a rule that is explicit in one place may be enforced loosely or phrased another way in the next. For your location, look for the state fire marshal or your city fire code rather than a forum answer, and follow the warnings posted at the pump. Kia and Hyundai manuals both tell drivers to read and follow all warnings posted at the station. This is general information, not legal advice.

Hybrids And Start-Stop Cars: What Engine Off Means

A car that is quiet is not necessarily off. Renault’s Trafic manual says that to fill up, the engine must be off, and not only on standby on vehicles with the Stop and Start function. Hyundai’s 2026 hybrid manual spells out the steps: shift to P, apply the parking brake and move the Engine Start/Stop button to OFF. Hyundai also warns against refueling while the high-voltage hybrid battery is charging, citing static electricity. Rely on your maker’s stated off step rather than on engine noise. Our guides cover fueling a hybrid and how start-stop systems work.

Battery electric cars have no fuel tank, so this guide applies to gasoline vehicles.

Alternatives To Leaving Car On: A Safer Fueling Routine

The routine below combines steps from the manuals and PEI. Where your manual differs, follow your manual.

1. Read the fueling page of your owner’s manual and any signs at the pump.
2. Park, then switch the car fully off. On a Hyundai hybrid that means P, parking brake, Engine Start/Stop to OFF.
3. Before you touch the nozzle, touch bare metal on the car body away from the filler neck (Kia and Hyundai).
4. Open the cap slowly and wait for any hissing to stop (Kia and Mazda), then insert the nozzle fully before you start the flow (Renault).
5. Stay outside the vehicle until you are done (PEI). If you must get back in, touch a metal part of the car away from the filler again before touching the nozzle (Kia and Hyundai).
6. Stop when the nozzle clicks off; do not top off (Mazda and Hyundai).
7. Confirm the cap clicks shut and the filler door is closed before you start the car (Kia and Hyundai).

A hold-open latch does not change PEI’s rule. Many of the incident descriptions involve a latched nozzle and a driver sitting back in the car, so the latch is a convenience, not permission to leave the pump area for the car seat. If the nozzle will not stay in or the pump keeps clicking off, our guide on why a car will not take gas covers the fueling problems.

On phones: PEI has not documented an incident caused by a cell phone and says researchers have failed to ignite vapor with one, yet Kia and Hyundai manuals still tell drivers not to use a phone while refueling. PEI advises against any electronic device that distracts you during fueling. Treat the phone as optional and the engine switch as required.

Safety Tips At Gas Stations

• Look for the emergency fuel shut-off before you start fueling (Hyundai manual).
• No smoking, matches or lighters at the pump, and do not leave a lit cigarette in the car (Kia and Hyundai manuals).
• Do not let anyone who has not discharged static come close to an open fuel tank (Kia manual).
• Keep the nozzle in the filler for the whole fill (Renault manual).

If a fire starts, Hyundai’s manual says to get away from the vehicle, tell a gas station employee immediately and then contact the local fire department. A small extinguisher such as the one in the box above is a sensible item to own, but it does not replace walking away and alerting staff. Our roundup of car fire extinguishers compares options, and our guide on what causes car fires covers fires away from the pump.

Keep reading

• Is It Bad to Leave Car on While Pumping Gas: Safety Tips
• Is It Bad to Fill Gas With Your Car On? Fire Risk Explained
• Is It Bad to Fuel a Car While Running? What Maker Manuals Say

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Leaving The Car On Cause Fire At Gas Stations?

It adds risk. Maker manuals name sparks from engine-related electrical parts as an ignition hazard, and fire codes such as Virginia’s require engines to be shut off during fueling. The best-documented pump-fire cause in PEI’s 176 reports was static discharge, with running motors ruled out in those reports. Engine off and staying outside the car covers both. For other idling situations, see our guide on leaving a car running for an hour.

Is It Illegal To Pump Gas With The Engine Running?

It depends on the fire code your state or city has adopted. Virginia’s Statewide Fire Prevention Code requires the engines of vehicles being fueled to be shut off, but other states and cities word and enforce the rule differently. Check your state fire marshal or local fire code, and follow the signs posted at the pump. This is general information, not legal advice.

Why Should You Turn Off Your Car When Refueling?

Because the manuals and codes say to. Kia and Mazda tell drivers to shut the engine off before refueling, Hyundai tells drivers to put the car in park, set the parking brake and press Engine Start/Stop to OFF, and Renault says the engine must be fully off. None of these manuals or codes says an idling engine is acceptable at the pump.

Does Idling While Refueling Waste Fuel?

An idling engine burns fuel while the car sits still, but saving fuel is not the reason to switch off at the pump. The reason is fire safety. For the wider question of idling, see whether idling can damage an engine.

Is It Actually the Engine Spark That Causes Pump Fires?

In PEI’s 176 reports from 1992 through March 2010, running motors were ruled out and static electricity was the probable cause, most often after the driver got back into the car and touched the nozzle. PEI also notes that before 1999 the refueling fires it knew of included sparks from the engine compartment of a vehicle with its motor running, and maker manuals still list engine sparks as a hazard, so the engine stays off.

Can a Cell Phone Cause a Fire at the Pump?

PEI says it has not documented a single incident caused by a cell phone, and that researchers who tried to ignite fuel vapor with one failed. Kia and Hyundai manuals still tell drivers not to use phones while refueling, and PEI advises against any device that distracts you during fueling. Skipping the phone call costs nothing.

Do Hybrids and Start-Stop Cars Need to Be Fully Off at the Pump?

The manuals say so. Renault’s Trafic manual says the engine must be off, not only on standby on vehicles with Stop and Start, and Hyundai’s hybrid manual says to press the Engine Start/Stop button to OFF. See our guides on fueling a hybrid and start-stop systems.

What Should You Do if You Get Back in the Car While Fueling?

PEI’s rule is to never re-enter the vehicle while refueling. Kia and Hyundai add that if you must get back in, you should touch a bare metal part of the vehicle away from the filler neck and nozzle again before touching the nozzle.

Conclusion

Engine off, stay outside the car, touch metal before the nozzle, and follow your manual and the posted signs. That routine matches every source above and costs a few seconds. For caps and filler doors, our explainer on what the gas cap does is a useful next read.

What this guide does not cover

• Diesel-specific fueling rules, electric vehicle charging and hydrogen fueling.
• Portable fuel containers beyond the manual warnings quoted above.
• Local legal advice; ask your fire marshal or a lawyer about your own jurisdiction.