San Francisco

Full Year-Round Ban Year-round gas ban

Ban status

Healthier, Cleaner, Quieter Communities Act bans the use of all gas-powered landscaping equipment (small off-road engines / SOREs <25 hp, including leaf blowers, trimmers, and mowers) citywide. Phased: City departments and contractors prohibited as of 2024-07-01; professional landscapers, property owners, business owners and managers, and the general public prohibited as of 2026-01-01 — universal application now in force. Modeled in the tracker as a city directly under California (consolidated city-county). Compliance temporary waivers available from the SF Department of the Environment when replacement technology is unavailable.

Enacted: 2022-10-06 In effect since: 2026-01-01

Carve-outs:

Other — Replacement technology unavailable

Sources: SF Department of the Environment compliance page at https://www.sfenvironment.org/landscaping (updated for 2026-01-01 universal-application phase) and codified ordinance at https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_police/0-0-0-5787. Original ordinance passed by Board of Supervisors October 2022 (lead author: Supervisor Myrna Melgar). Implementation handled by SF Department of the Environment; equipment incentive program available to landscapers. Coverage: SFBay (2022-03-04) on the original adoption; Glen Park Association 2025-11-21 republishing the universal-phase FAQ. Verified 2026-05-05.

Last updated: Jun 2, 2026

Research & citations

City and County of San Francisco — Police Code (Healthier, Cleaner, Quieter Communities Act) — City and County of San Francisco, 2022-10
Codified San Francisco ordinance banning use of gas-powered landscaping equipment citywide. City departments / contractors prohibited 2024-07-01; commercial + residential prohibited 2026-01-01.
Petition: Ban Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers in San Francisco — Change.org
Citywide SF ban on gas-powered leaf blowers and garden equipment. Addresses SF Mayor and Board of Supervisors. Closed.
SF Environment Department — Healthier, Cleaner, Quieter Communities Act (Landscaping) — San Francisco Environment Department
San Francisco Environment Department implementation page for the gas landscaping equipment ordinance, including the phase-in schedule.
San Francisco, CA — Official Municipal Website

California context

In force AB 1346 — Statewide SORE sales ban

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

See in the tracker

This region also appears in the broader multi-jurisdiction tracker alongside its peers.