Montgomery County

Ban status

Countywide year-round ban on use of handheld, backpack, and walk-behind gas-powered leaf blowers under Bill 18-22. Sales ban effective July 1, 2024; use ban effective July 1, 2025. Only exemption is for agricultural producers on agriculturally zoned property.

Timeline

• 2025-12-01 Amended — Ordinance amended to remove photo-evidence requirement; now requires two-witness testimony
• 2025-07-01 Effective date reached — effective
• 2024-07-01 Effective date reached — Phase: Sales ban begins
• 2023-10 Signed by executive — County Executive Marc Elrich signed

• Upcoming 2026-07-01 Enforcement resumed — Montgomery County Reminds Residents of Leaf Blower Ban; $500 Fines Begin July 1

Research & citations

• Montgomery County Reminds Residents of Leaf Blower Ban; $500 Fines Begin July 1 — gas leaf blowers, 2026-05-02T18:26:44.000Z
  Montgomery County, MD is reminding residents that its gas-powered leaf blower ban is in effect and that violations will carry a $500 fine starting July 1, 2026. The ban aims to reduce harmful emissions and decrease reliance on gas-powered equipment.
• Montgomery County, MD — Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Law (DEP) — Montgomery County Dept. of Environmental Protection, 2025-07-01
  Countywide prohibition on the use of gas-powered handheld, backpack, and walk-behind leaf blowers, in full effect July 1, 2025 (Bill 18-23). Applies to all properties, including the County's incorporated villages and special tax districts.
• The Movement to 'Make America Rake Again' — Reasons to be Cheerful — Reasons to be Cheerful, 2024-01-18
  Hannah Wallace profiles the national push to ban gas-powered leaf blowers, opening with Quiet Clean PDX co-chair Michael Hall (Portland, OR) and noting more than 100 US cities have enacted bans alongside 45+ Quiet Clean Alliance member groups. Calls Washington D.C.'s 2022 phase-out the "gold standard" — three-year ramp-up, citizen-affidavit enforcement via DLCP, fines up to $500. Surveys California's CARB AB-1346 zero-emission rule (effective Jan 2024) plus the state's $30M CORE voucher program; cites bans in Burlington VT, Evanston IL, Oakland, Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, and Montgomery County MD; flags rebate/discount programs in Colorado (30% statewide point-of-sale discount, eff. Jan 2024) and Dallas. Quotes Seagraves Landscaping (West Linn, OR — a Lake Oswego Parks contractor) on crews preferring electric blowers. Closes by linking the movement to the Xerces Society's Leave the Leaves campaign.
• Montgomery County MD — gas leaf blower ban (Bill 18-22)
  Bill 18-22 enacted Sep 26 2023; sale ban Jul 1 2024, use ban Jul 1 2025.
• Petition: Banning Gas Leaf Blowers in Urban Parts of Montgomery County, MD — Change.org, 2020
  Pre-Bill-18-22 pro-ban petition (~7,000 signatures — among the largest US pro-ban totals). Addressed to County Executive Marc Elrich. This long-running campaign helped drive the eventual 2022 phase-out legislation in MoCo. Active.
• Petition: Amendment to MOCO Gas Leaf Blower Ban — Change.org
  OPPOSES the Montgomery County MD gas leaf blower ban (Bill 18-22) as written. 2,226 signatures from a 25+ landscape-company consortium. Asks for a 6-8 week fall-season carve-out to allow gas blowers during peak leaf cleanup. Active.
• Petition: Overturn the Gas Leaf Blower Ban in Montgomery County — Change.org
  OPPOSES the entire Montgomery County MD gas leaf blower ban. "Save our freedom of choice" framing — argues for education and incentives instead of prohibition. Active.
• Bill 18-22 (full text PDF) — Montgomery County Council
• Quiet Clean Montgomery County — flagship advocacy