Glenn County, CA Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Glenn County Code § 15.56.100(E)
- Lawn/plant equipment window
- 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Condition
- Correctly functioning sound suppression required
- Non-exempt hours
- Standard Table B/C limits apply
- Separate exemption
- Agricultural equipment on ag-zoned land, any hour
Summary
Glenn County exempts lawn and plant care machinery, including leaf blowers, from its noise decibel limits only when the equipment carries working sound-suppression gear and runs between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Glenn County Code Section 15.56.100 governs the exemption; outside those hours or without functioning mufflers, the machinery must meet the same Table B and Table C limits as any other noise source.
Local noise standards set forth in this section do not apply to the following situations and sources of noise provided standard, reasonable practices are being followed: ... Lawn and plant care machinery fitted with correctly functioning sound suppression equipment and operated between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.; Aircraft when subject to federal or state regulations; Agricultural equipment when operated on property zoned for agricultural activities.
Full Breakdown
from the section's general decibel limits. That is a two-part condition: the equipment, which covers leaf blowers, mowers, trimmers and similar plant care tools, must actually carry a working muffler or sound suppressor, and it must run inside the thirteen-hour daytime window. , dropping to 45/55/60 dBA overnight, or the tighter Table C limits of 57 dBA evening and 50 dBA overnight when the noise reaches a dwelling, hospital, school, library or nursing home. Because the exemption is tied to equipment condition as well as time of day, a landscaper or homeowner running an unmuffled or modified gas blower can be out of compliance even during the permitted daytime hours if the required sound suppression is missing or has been removed.
As with the construction exemption in the same section, agricultural equipment operated on land zoned for agriculture is separately exempt at any hour under a different clause of the same list.
Violations & Fines
Lawn and plant care equipment run before 7:00 a.m., after 8:00 p.m., or without correctly functioning sound suppression is not exempt under Section 15.56.100 and is measured against the same decibel ceilings that apply to any other noise source in the county, enforceable as an ordinary violation of the noise chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a leaf blower any time of day in Glenn County?
Does an unmuffled leaf blower get the daytime noise exemption?
What noise limit applies to lawn equipment after 8 p.m.?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glenn County
How Glenn County compares: Cities with the Strictest Leaf Blower Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Glenn County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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