Modoc County, CA Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)

Many California cities and a few counties restrict or ban gas-powered leaf blowers, but a full-text search of the Modoc County Code (codified through Ord. No. 325-A, Jan. 2026) returned no matches for 'leaf blower' or 'blower.' There is no chapter regulating yard or landscaping equipment, no permitted-hours window for power tools, and no countywide noise-emission standard for such equipment in the unincorporated county. The only numeric noise figure anywhere in the code is the 55-decibel lot-line limit that applies specifically to home occupations under zoning Section 18.100.010 - that limit governs equipment used in a home business, not ordinary residential yard maintenance. For routine leaf-blower or lawn-equipment noise, the only available remedy is the general public-nuisance process in Chapter 8.20 (Ord. No. 308-B, 2017): if the noise is unreasonable and persistent, it can be reported and, if it qualifies as a public nuisance, abated through notices and administrative citations. Separately, California's statewide small off-road engine rules (administered by the Air Resources Board) phase in zero-emission requirements for new gas-powered equipment, but that is an air-quality and equipment-sales standard, not a local noise rule. Given the county's rural setting, no leaf-blower restriction has been adopted.