Cambridge

Ban status

Year-round ban fully in effect. Residential ban effective March 15, 2025; commercial, multi-parcel owner, and city contractor ban effective March 15, 2026. Electric blowers permitted only March 15–June 15 and Sept 15–Dec 31, with hours M–F 8am–5pm, Sat 9am–5pm, no Sundays or most legal holidays. Annual permit required from License Commission.

Timeline

• 2026-03-15 Effective date reached — Commercial, multi-parcel owner, and city contractor ban took effect
• 2025-04-08 Vote taken — Martha's Vineyard Towns to Vote on Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Phase-Out at Town Meetings
• 2025-03-15 Effective date reached — Phase: Residential gas leaf blower ban took effect
• 2023-12-04 Adopted — City Council approved ordinance 9–0

Research & citations

• Martha's Vineyard Towns to Vote on Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Phase-Out at Town Meetings
  Five Martha's Vineyard towns — including Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, and West Tisbury — are set to vote at town meetings on April 8, 2025 on proposals to phase out gas-powered leaf blowers within three years. The Vineyard Conservation Society has driven the effort, citing noise, air quality, and worker health concerns. Landscapers express mixed reactions but many are already transitioning to battery-powered equipment.
• Cambridge, MA — Official Municipal Website
• City of Cambridge — Municipal Code §8.16.081 (leaf blowers) — City of Cambridge
  Cambridge, MA Code of Ordinances Title 8 Health and Safety Chapter 8.16 Noise Control §8.16.081 (leaf blower ordinance). Source: Municode.
• Leaf Blower Permit — City of Cambridge
• Cambridge Municipal Code Chapter 8.16 (Noise Control) — Municode
• City announces gas leaf blower ban — City of Cambridge DPW, 2025-02
• Cambridge ban arriving — Boston Globe, 2025-03-12