Bristol, CT Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)

Bristol's noise ordinance treats leaf blowers as a category of "property maintenance equipment," defined in Sec. 15-17 to mean "all engine or motor-powered tools and equipment used occasionally in the repair and upkeep of exterior property," expressly listing lawnmowers, riding tractors, wood chippers, power saws and leaf blowers. Sec. 15-19(a) exempts "noise created by the operation of property maintenance equipment during day-time hours" from the article's general decibel table. Day-time hours, per Sec. 15-17, run 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Because the exemption is conditioned on the clock, a homeowner or landscaping crew running a leaf blower before or after those hours forfeits the exemption and must meet the full zone-based decibel limits of Sec. 15-21(b), which are lower for a residential receptor, especially at night. There is no separate gas-versus-electric distinction and no seasonal date restriction written into the ordinance; the only variable the code sets is the clock. Sec. 15-20 requires any compliance measurement to use an ANSI-standard sound level meter and be taken about one foot inside the neighboring property.

Enforcement runs through the Bristol Police Department under Sec. 15-24, either on complaint or on its own initiative, with the escalating fine schedule of Sec. 15-25: $90 for a first violation, $200 for a second consecutive day, and $400 for every day after.