Bowie, MD Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)

Leaf blowers are not named separately in Bowie's Chapter 13, but they fall under the § 13-4.E exemption for "lawn care and snow removal equipment." That exemption removes the equipment from the noise chapter's reach, but only inside a defined window: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and only if the equipment is "maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications." A blower that is out of tune, missing a muffler component, or simply running before 7:00 a.m. on a weekday or before 9:00 a.m. on a weekend loses the protection of § 13-4.E entirely.

Once outside the exempt window, the equipment is governed by the general rule in § 13-3.A, which makes it unlawful, at any hour, for an owner or occupant to make or permit any loud or raucous sound that causes unreasonable annoyance or disturbance to people living or located nearby, and by the underlying decibel ceilings in § 13-2. Section 13-3.A(12) separately requires any noise-creating blower or power fan to be muffled enough to deaden its noise, so even inside the exempt hours a landscaping crew running an unmuffled, excessively loud blower for a commercial job could still be cited if it causes unreasonable annoyance.

Enforcement of a § 13-3 citation still requires either a City code enforcement officer's direct observation or a sworn, two-witness affidavit complaint under § 13-3.B, and a violation is a municipal infraction under § 13-6.