Linden, NJ Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)

7. Outside that overnight window the numeric decibel limits do not apply at all, so daytime yard work, including gas leaf blowers, is unrestricted by decibel level, only by the clock. Emergency work is exempt from the hours restriction entirely. All motorized equipment used for this work, leaf blowers, mowers, trimmers and similar tools, must run with its original manufacturer-installed muffler or sound-reduction device, or an OEM-equivalent replacement; removing or bypassing that muffler is itself a separate violation. 9b applies the same equipment-and-muffler standard to landscaping and yard work performed on commercial, industrial, community-service or public-space properties, but without the fixed overnight cutoff; those sites must instead meet the applicable Table I-III limits at all times.

Complaints are handled by a Noise Control Officer or Investigator, who can verify a clock violation without a sound meter but needs a certified meter to test decibel compliance during permitted hours.