13-05-2025
The bizarre '12-second' ice cream van rule that you might not have heard of as drivers are slapped with seven-page rulebook
The sound of an ice cream van is a cherished part of British culture, evoking childhood memories of Mr Whippy cones on warm summer days.
However, behind the sweet nostalgia lies a surprisingly detailed set of rules that govern how these mobile vendors can operate.
Ice cream van drivers in England must adhere to a seven-page rulebook when playing their well-known Greensleeves chime.
The code of practice on noise from ice-cream van chimes in England is enforced by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and aims to minimise noise levels.
It states that the jingle must not go on for a moment longer than 12 seconds as it may run the risk of annoying the public.
To prevent any ice cream vendors disobeying the law each van has to be fitted with an automatic mechanism that stops the tune after 12 seconds.
Meanwhile, drivers are only permitted to use the tune once when driving to their patch and once when the van is parked up.
As to not disturb people in their homes in the early morning or evening, the chimes can only be played between 12 noon and 7 pm.
While the song should not be played more than once every two minutes in any given location.
And depending on the street, drivers can be limited to just one play of the tune every two hours.
To avoid conflict the jingle is not to be played when passing by a rival seller.
Meanwhile chimes must not exceed 80 decibels, measured at a 7.5-metre distance and must not be played within 50 metres of a school.
Drivers are also not allowed within 50 metres of a place of worship during a religious day and must avoid churches on Sundays.
Besides annoying residence with the sound of chimes Ice cream van owners must also comply with standard food safety and vehicle health laws in the UK.
They must ensure regular inspections and servicing of refrigeration units and maintain clean, food-safe environments.
Certain areas in England have been declared 'No Cold Calling Zones', often set up to protect residents from nuisance or aggressive selling tactics. Ice cream vans must respect these zones, even if they've traded there for years.
Additionally, competition among vendors has occasionally led to turf wars—prompting some councils to limit the number of licences issued for a particular area.
The code of practice states: 'This code of practice gives guidance on methods of minimising annoyance or disturbance caused by the operation of loudspeakers fixed to ice-cream vans.
'Used to convey and sell perishable commodities for human consumption to the public.
'Annoyance to persons in the vicinity is most likely to be caused if the volume of chimes is excessive.
'If the chimes are played too frequently or for too long, if the chimes are sounded in areas where people are particularly sensitive to noise, or if the sound of the chimes is distorted.
'The methods by which such annoyance may be minimised are described in the following sections of this code of practice.'
