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

Glenn County does not regulate leaf blowers by model, motor type, or a dedicated decibel cap. The relevant provision is the exemption list in the zoning noise performance standard, Section 15.56.100 of the Glenn County Code (Ordinance 1183, 2006). That section exempts 'lawn and plant care machinery fitted with correctly functioning sound suppression equipment and operated between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.' from the county's one-hour equivalent sound-pressure limits. Practically, this means a leaf blower or mower with intact muffler/suppression used during the 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. window is exempt from the numeric dBA limits in Tables B and C; the same equipment used outside that window, or without functioning sound suppression, is not exempt and must meet the standard limits (such as 45 dBA received at a residential property between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.). The 2023 amplified-sound ordinance in Chapter 10.25 covers audio equipment only and does not reach yard machinery. There is no gas-versus-electric restriction in the county code. These provisions apply to the unincorporated communities of Glenn County; the cities of Willows and Orland set their own rules.