Islip, NY Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Weekday hours
- 7:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
- Sunday hours
- 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
- Golf course maintenance
- exempt since 2023
- First-offense fine
- $100-$500
- Repeat-offense fine
- up to $1,500
- Max jail term
- 15 days
- Governing section
- § 35-3(M)
Summary
Leaf blowers, lawn mowers and other domestic power equipment in the Town of Islip may only run when the noise disturbs no one, and even then only between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on weekdays or 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Sundays under Town Code § 35-3(M). Golf-course maintenance crews are exempt entirely.
M. Domestic equipment. The operation of or permitting to be operated any power saw, drill, sander, router, lawn or garden device, leaf blower or snowblower, insect control device or domestic equipment so as to create a noise disturbance, except between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on weekdays, or between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Sundays, and except in cases of urgent necessity or in the interest of public safety. Noise from the operation of lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and/or garden devices used for the maintenance of playing areas of a golf course shall not be deemed a violation of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4826765; v112 updated 2026-02-24; through 02-24-2026).
Full Breakdown
on Sundays. A "noise disturbance" is defined in § 35-2 as sound that annoys a reasonable person, is clearly audible past the property line, or exceeds the A-weighted levels in Noise Control Table 1. A 2023 amendment added one hard carve-out: noise from lawn mowers, leaf blowers and garden devices used to maintain the playing areas of a golf course is never a Chapter 35 violation, regardless of time of day. The section also excuses "urgent necessity" and public-safety uses, mirroring the same exception written into the heavy-equipment and construction provisions of § 35-3.
Under § 35-2, a complaint can be substantiated three ways: sworn affidavits from two residents in separate households who agree on timing, a sound-meter reading over the Table 1 limit, or a Town of Islip police officer's or peace officer's personal observation, a category the Town Board added on August 9, 2022. Enforcement runs through Town of Islip police and code enforcement, who can issue an appearance ticket for any out-of-hours blower run a neighbor documents as a disturbance.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 35 violations are punishable under § 35-6: a fine of $100 to $500 for a first offense, $500 to $1,000 for a second, and $1,000 to $1,500 for every offense after that, plus up to 15 days' imprisonment in addition to any fine. Each out-of-hours run can be charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a leaf blower before 7 a.m. in Islip?
What are the Sunday leaf-blower hours?
Does the golf course exemption cover homeowners?
What's the fine for a leaf-blower noise violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Islip
How Islip compares: Cities with the Strictest Leaf Blower Rules·New York rules heatmap·Compare Islip to another location·View the New York noise ordinances overview
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