Marblehead

Partial or Seasonal Ban Seasonal gas ban

Ban status

Seasonal summer ban. Gas blowers prohibited Memorial Day to Labor Day each year; electric / battery permitted. Penalty: written warning first offense, $100 second, $200 each additional. Property owner responsible for fine.

Enacted: 2022-05-02 In effect since: 2023-07-20

Carve-outs:

Emergency / snow removal — Situations deemed an emergency, as allowed by a Select Board representative

Original article passed at 2022 Town Meeting without enforcement; re-passed with enforcement at May 2023 Town Meeting. Went into force summer 2023 after AG Municipal Law Unit approval (14 months post-original vote). Enforcement by Marblehead Police or Health Department. 2024 Town Meeting voted to indefinitely suspend three expansion articles (year-round, remove exceptions, higher fines).

Last updated: Jun 2, 2026

Timeline

2024 Enforcement paused — Town Meeting indefinitely suspended three ban-expansion articles
2023-07-20 Effective date reached — Marblehead Gas Leaf Blower Ban Now in Full Effect After AG Approval
2023-05 Adopted — Re-passed with enforcement provisions at Town Meeting
2023 Effective date reached — Summer ban took effect after AG Municipal Law Unit approval
2022-05-03 Vote taken — Marblehead, MA Passes Seasonal Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Ban at Town Meeting
2022 Adopted — Original Town Meeting article (no enforcement)

Research & citations

Marblehead Gas Leaf Blower Ban Now in Full Effect After AG Approval
Marblehead's summer ban on gas-powered leaf blowers (Memorial Day through Labor Day) took full effect July 20, 2023, after the Massachusetts Attorney General approved the bylaw. Residents may now report violations to the police and health departments; fines escalate from a written warning to $100 and $200 for repeat offenses, with homeowners liable.
Marblehead Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers — eCode360
Marblehead, MA Passes Seasonal Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Ban at Town Meeting
Marblehead's gas-powered leaf blower ban passed 254–202 at the 2022 annual town meeting after more than five years of failed attempts. The seasonal ban — amended to run from Memorial Day through Labor Day — takes effect June 1, 2022. Debate centered on noise, summer air quality, and cost burdens on landscapers.
Marblehead, MA — Official Municipal Website
Summer Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Ban Takes Effect — Marblehead Patch
Gas Leaf Blower Ban Expansion Blocked at Town Meeting — Marblehead Patch, 2024

Massachusetts context

Guidance 310 CMR 7.10 noise regulation; three failed incentive bills

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