Wilmette

Ban status

9-month ban. Gas-powered leaf blowers permitted only April 1–30 and October 1–November 30. During permitted windows: 30 minutes in any 3-hour period on residential lots ≤½ acre; weekdays 7am–7pm (personal use). Electric permitted year-round; electric blowers powered by portable gasoline generators treated as gas. Exemptions: golf courses, public parks, roof / gutter cleaning, street repair.

Timeline

• 2024-01-01 Effective date reached — 9-month ban took effect
• 2023 Amended — Village expanded prior 20-week seasonal ban to 40-week (9-month) configuration

Research & citations

• Everyone hates gas-powered leaf blowers. So why is it so hard to ban them? — Grist — Grist, 2025-11-26
  Kate Yoder surveys the national landscape of gas-powered leaf blower restrictions and the implementation gap behind them: Westport, CT fought for a seasonal restriction and then found local officials weren't enforcing it; in Evanston, IL landscape workers allege harassment from residents reporting violations; Texas and Georgia have preempted local regulation; California's sales ban took effect January 2025, with the Western States Petroleum Association running a Latino-focused campaign against electrification; Colorado offers a 30% rebate on electric equipment; Portland and Baltimore are phasing out use; Wilmette, IL is coordinating with other greater-Chicago towns toward consistent regional policy. Article notes more than 200 local governments now have some form of restriction.
• New leaf blower regulations take effect in North Shore towns
  Restrictions approved last year by Wilmette trustees took effect Jan 1 2024.
• Regional Leaf Blower Working Group — Final Report (Sept 28, 2022) — City of Highland Park, 2022-09-28
  Final Report of the Illinois Regional Leaf Blower Working Group, hosted on the City of Highland Park website. Summarizes the Working Group's 2021–2022 deliberations among 11 villages and cities plus industry representatives, and proposes a shared 9-month-ban ordinance template — the structural template adopted by the North Shore seasonal-restriction cluster.
• City of Wilmette — Municipal Code (leaf blower / noise) — City of Wilmette
  Codified leaf blower / noise ordinance for City of Wilmette, Illinois. Source: Municode.
• Leaf Blower Regulations — Village of Wilmette
• Regional Leaf Blower Working Group — Final Report — Village of Deerfield, 2022-09-28