Cook County does not regulate gas-powered leaf blowers countywide, and Illinois has no statewide ban. Suburban Cook municipalities Evanston and Wilmette have adopted seasonal restrictions, while most other suburbs follow only general noise ordinances.
Neither the Cook County Code nor the Illinois Environmental Protection Act restricts gas leaf-blower equipment. Regulation falls to individual suburbs. Evanston bans gas leaf blowers between May 15 and September 30 under City Code 9-5-23 (effective 2022). Wilmette restricts gas blowers May through September under Village Code 9-21. Oak Park, Skokie, and Schaumburg apply only general noise rules limiting decibel levels and operating hours. Unincorporated Cook County residents follow Cook County noise ordinance Ch. 30 Art. III for daytime hours but face no equipment-specific limit.
In Evanston and Wilmette, fines run $50 first offense and $150 for repeat violations. Unincorporated Cook County residents only face fines for general noise violations exceeding decibel limits.
See how Evanston's gas leaf blower ban rules stack up against other locations.
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