Alameda, CA Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited
- Gas, diesel, combustion-engine leaf blowers
- Applies to
- Operators, owners, tenants, landscaping services
- Effective date
- January 1, 2023
- Penalty
- Infraction fine up to $250
- Retailer duty
- Post notice of prohibition in stores
- Adopted by
- Ordinance No. 3307 N.S., 10-5-2021
Summary
Alameda Municipal Code Section 24-14.1 bans operating any gasoline, diesel or other combustion-engine leaf blower anywhere within city limits, effective January 1, 2023. The prohibition binds the operator, the property owner or tenant who allows the machine to run, and any landscaping or gardening service, with stores that sell such blowers required to post notice of the ban. A violation is an infraction carrying a fine of up to $250.
24-14.1 - Prohibition on Gasoline-Powered Leaf Blowers. a. It shall be unlawful to operate any portable machine powered with a gasoline, diesel, or other combustion engine used to blow leaves, dirt, and other debris off sidewalks, driveways, lawns, or other surfaces, within the City limits. b. No owner of real property, tenant in possession of real property, or person in control of real property shall allow the operation of any portable machine powered with a gasoline, diesel, or other combustion engine used to blow leaves, dirt, and other debris on the property. c. No person who owns or operates a gardening, landscape maintenance or similar service shall operate or allow an employee or agent of that service to operate any portable machine powered with a gasoline, diesel, or other combustion engine used to blow leaves, dirt, and other debris within the City limits. d. Notice of this prohibition shall be posted in all stores selling such machines within the City limits. ... f. ... This Section 24-14.1 shall become effective on January 1, 2023.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 74).
Full Breakdown
1, adopted by Ordinance No. S. ' The ban is not limited to the person holding the machine: subsection (b) separately forbids any owner of real property, tenant in possession, or other person in control of real property from allowing such a machine to be operated there, and subsection (c) forbids any gardening or landscape-maintenance service, or its employees or agents, from operating one anywhere in the City. Subsection (d) requires that notice of the prohibition be posted in every store within Alameda that sells gas-powered blowers, putting retailers on the hook for informing buyers.
The section sits in Chapter XXIV, Public Health, immediately after the City's public-health-officer compliance rules in Section 24-13, reflecting that the leaf-blower ban was framed as a nuisance and public-health measure rather than a zoning restriction. Nothing in the section exempts battery-electric or corded-electric blowers, which remain unregulated by this chapter.
Violations & Fines
Subsection (e) makes a violation an infraction punishable by a fine of up to $250.00, or the City may instead issue an administrative citation under Chapter 1-7 of the Code. The remedies are cumulative and non-exclusive, so the City is not limited to only one of the two enforcement paths for a given violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are electric leaf blowers still legal in Alameda?
Can I get in trouble if my landscaper uses a gas blower on my lawn?
When did Alameda's gas leaf blower ban take effect?
What's the fine for using a gas leaf blower in Alameda?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alameda
How Alameda compares: Cities with the Strictest Leaf Blower Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Alameda to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Leaf Blower Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle leaf blower rules.