Worcester County, MA Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)

Worcester County government was abolished on July 1, 1998, so there is no county-level leaf blower regulation. Each of the 60 Worcester County municipalities sets its own rules. The City of Worcester regulates power equipment including leaf blowers under the Worcester Revised Ordinances of 2008, Chapter 9 (Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions), generally permitting operation 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily with a +10 dB ambient property-line limit enforced by Worcester Police and the Department of Inspectional Services. Shrewsbury, Westborough, Northborough, Southborough, and Grafton — the affluent MetroWest towns in eastern Worcester County — have considered but not adopted gas leaf blower bans as of 2025, unlike Middlesex County neighbors Concord and Lexington. Fitchburg and Leominster follow standard local noise bylaws allowing operation during daytime hours. Commercial landscaping operations across the county typically observe an 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM window Monday through Saturday. Peak fall leaf season is mid-October through early December when Worcester County receives heavy oak, maple, and beech leaf drop. MassDEP regulation 310 CMR 7.10 provides a statewide fallback when sound exceeds ambient levels by 10+ dB at the property line.