Los Angeles

Full Year-Round Ban Year-round gas ban

Ban status

LAMC §112.04(c): "No gas powered blower shall be used within 500 feet of a residence at any time." Effective February 13, 1998. Distance-based partial ban.

Enacted: 1998-01-06 In effect since: 1998-02-13

Original penalties (misdemeanor, up to $1,000, up to 6 months jail) were reduced after the January 1998 ALAGLA hunger strike. Current statute is infraction-level. Methanol-fuel loophole used by gardeners made field enforcement impractical for years.

Last updated: Jun 3, 2026

Research & citations

City of Los Angeles, Office of the City Clerk — leaf-blower ordinance source — City of Los Angeles, Office of the City Clerk, 1998-01-06
City Clerk Council File 90-2377: Ordinance No. 171,890 amending LAMC §112.04(c) to ban gas-powered leaf blowers; adopted Jan 6 1998, effective Feb 13 1998.
City of Los Angeles — Municipal Code (leaf blower / noise) — City of Los Angeles
Codified leaf blower / noise ordinance for City of Los Angeles, California. Source: American Legal Publishing.
Taking Action on Gas Leaf Blowers — LA Council District 4
The Los Angeles Leaf Blower Wars — 99% Invisible
Gardeners' Strike — NPR, 1998-01-09

California context

In force AB 1346 — Statewide SORE sales ban

Enacted 2021-10-09 · Effective 2024-01-01

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