Cherry Hill, NJ Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)

Section 5-1.6.k, 'Power Equipment,' within the Noise Control ordinance at Chapter 5 bars operating or permitting the operation of any powered saw, sander, drill, grinder, garden equipment, or tool of like nature, used primarily for domestic purposes, outdoors in a residential zone, outside the hours of 8:00 a.m. and dusk or 8:00 p.m., whichever comes first. Leaf blowers fall under 'garden equipment or tools of like nature': the ordinance does not name blowers specifically, does not set a separate decibel cap for them, and does not distinguish gas from electric or battery units; it regulates by time of day only, the same 8:00 a.m. to dusk/8:00 p.m. window that governs radios, loading, and model vehicles elsewhere in Section 5-1.6.

Because the clause is limited to residential zones, a landscaping crew working a commercial property or a homeowners' association common area outside a residential zone is not covered by this specific clause, though the general noise-disturbance standard in Section 5-1.5, barring sound that 'emanates past the boundary of the property' and disturbs neighbors, still applies everywhere in the Township. Section 5-1.7 exempts emergency work and OSHA-covered activity from the whole section. A landscaping company needing an earlier start for a large seasonal cleanup can seek a permit of variation from the Department of Community Development under Section 5-1.8: a written application describing the equipment, the requested hours, and interim controls, a $50 fee, and approval limited to ten days unless a new application is filed.