Wake County, NC has no leaf-blower-specific ordinance. Under Code § 92.04 (Chapter 92 — Noise), "lawn care equipment and agricultural activities" are exempt from the general noise prohibition during "daytime hours," defined in § 92.02 as 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. local time. Running a leaf blower between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in unincorporated Wake County is a citable § 92.03 violation. The chapter applies only to unincorporated areas — Raleigh, Cary and other towns set their own rules.
Wake County's noise rules live in Chapter 92 of the Code of Ordinances. The chapter was substantially amended by the Board of Commissioners on December 4, 2023, with the amendments taking effect on January 4, 2024. Section 92.02 (Definitions) sets the "daytime hours" window at 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. local time and the "nighttime hours" window at 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Section 92.03 (Prohibition of Noise Pollution) makes it unlawful for any person to cause or allow the emission of unreasonable noise — defined in part by character, intensity, and duration — that is detrimental to the health, comfort, or repose of any reasonable person. Section 92.04 (Exceptions) then carves out specific carve-outs: subsection covering "lawn care equipment and agricultural activities" makes the general § 92.03 prohibition inapplicable to typical residential lawn maintenance equipment — gas and electric leaf blowers, mowers, string trimmers, hedge clippers — provided the activity is performed during daytime hours (7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.). Outside that 16-hour window the exemption disappears and the general § 92.03 prohibition is fully in force. Construction activity during daytime hours is also exempt under § 92.04 provided manufacturer-supplied mufflers and noise-reducing equipment are installed and in proper operating condition. Critically, the entire chapter applies only to the unincorporated areas of Wake County. Property inside Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Wake Forest, Garner, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale, Morrisville, Wendell, Zebulon, or Rolesville is governed by that municipality's noise ordinance instead.
Violations of Chapter 92 are enforced by the Wake County Sheriff's Office patrol deputies, who must personally witness the violation to issue a citation. The county encourages residents to attempt direct resolution with a neighbor (or use HOA processes) before involving law enforcement. A Chapter 92 violation is a misdemeanor under North Carolina General Statute § 153A-123, which authorizes counties to enforce ordinances by fines up to $500 per violation and/or by misdemeanor prosecution; each day a violation continues may be treated as a separate offense. Operating a leaf blower at, say, 6:00 a.m. or after 11:00 p.m. in an unincorporated subdivision is the classic § 92.04 fact pattern and is citable on first complaint where a deputy observes it.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Wake County.
See how Cary's leaf blower rules rules stack up against other locations.
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