Brunswick County, NC Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew start
- 7:00 p.m. or sunset, whichever later
- Curfew ends
- 7:00 a.m.
- Standard
- noise plainly audible on affected property
- First civil penalty
- $300 per offense
- Repeat penalty
- $500 within 12 months
- Enforcement agency
- Brunswick County Sheriff's Office
Summary
In unincorporated Brunswick County, leaf blowers, lawnmowers and other lawn care equipment cannot be run so that the noise is plainly audible on a neighbor's property between 7:00 p.m. (or sunset, whichever is later) and 7:00 a.m. The rule sits inside the county's general Noise Ordinance and applies only outside the county's incorporated towns.
(10)Lawn care equipment. The creation of any noise emanating from yard tools, leaf blowers, lawnmowers and other lawn care equipment that is plainly audible within an affected property or through partitions common to two (2) dwelling units within a building between the hours of 7:00 p.m. or sunset, whichever is later, and 7:00 a.m.
Full Breakdown
Sec. m. curfew that governs radios, TVs and yelling under the rest of Sec. 1-9-563; the county grouped lawn equipment with construction and demolition noise under Sec. window. The code does not separately distinguish gas-powered blowers from electric ones, nor does it set a decibel limit; the same plainly-audible test used throughout the article applies. "Plainly audible" is defined in Sec. , is already outside the permitted window under the ordinance's own "whichever is later" language. Enforcement is handled by the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office, and, as with the rest of the article, the rule reaches only unincorporated parts of the county; Leland, Southport, Oak Island, Shallotte, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Sunset Beach, Calabash and Boiling Spring Lakes are each covered by their own municipal codes instead.
Violations & Fines
A first lawn-equipment noise violation is a $300 civil penalty, increasing to $500 for a repeat violation within 12 months of the first citation. The penalty is due within 72 hours or becomes collectible as a civil debt, plus court costs, through Brunswick County District Court. A violation is also charged as a Class 3 misdemeanor under G.S. 14-4, with each continuing day treated as a new offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I start using a leaf blower in unincorporated Brunswick County?
Does the ordinance treat gas leaf blowers differently than electric ones?
Does this leaf blower curfew apply in Shallotte or Leland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brunswick County
How Brunswick County compares: Cities with the Strictest Leaf Blower Rules·Compare Brunswick County to another location·View the North Carolina noise ordinances overview
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