A leaf blower is defined as a portable handheld or backpack style power tool that is powered by petroleum-based fuel or electricity and used in any landscape maintenance, construction, property repair, or property maintenance for the purpose of blowing, moving, removing, dispersing, or redistributing leaves, dust, dirt, grass clippings, cuttings, and trimmings from trees and shrubs or any other type of litter or debris. Excluded from this definition are wheeled walk-behind, four-stroke leaf blowers, as defined at subsection 8.16.81.2(3), and any leaf blowing devices attached to a tractor and/or mower.
The Ordinance seeks to address concerns about air quality and noise produced by leaf blowers. As such, leaf blowers must meet current EPA emissions standards and the sound they emit cannot exceed 65 decibels (per manufacturer’s rating).
Only one leaf blower may be used in parcels of 10,000 square feet or smaller. Larger parcels may only use one leaf blower within each 10,000 square foot area.
The following schedule has been developed in consideration of both landscaping needs and neighborhood quality of life.
Dates Permitted
March 15 – June 15;
September 15 – December 31
Dates Prohibited
January 1 – March 14;
June 16 – September 14;
all Sundays and Legal holidays, except for Indigenous Peoples' Day and Veterans Day
Hours of Use (during permitted dates)
Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Indigenous Peoples' Day: 12 noon – 5:00 p.m.
Veteran’s Day: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
This Ordinance applies to all residents, businesses, and property owners in Cambridge. However, commercial operators and large property owners should be aware of particular sections that apply only to them.
Commercial operators (any entity or organization that employs 2 or more employees that operate leaf blowers) can only operate in the City of Cambridge after they obtain a Leaf Blower Permit through the Board of License Commissioners. Operating without a permit subjects the commercial operator to $300 fines. City contractors are also required to obtain a permit prior to operating or executing a municipal leaf blower contract.
Through the Special Noise Variance provision of the Noise Control Ordinance, 8.16.090, a person or entity may request for an exemption to operate leaf blowers outside the restrictions of the Ordinance.