Longmont, CO Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Allowed hours
- 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Covered equipment
- leaf blowers, mowers, edgers, saws, tractors
- Residential noise cap
- 50 dB(A) night, 55 dB(A) day, at 25 ft
- Snow equipment
- exempt from the time limit
- Hardship permit
- up to 90 days, city manager approval
Summary
Homeowners' engine- or motor-powered lawn tools, including leaf blowers, power mowers, edgers and riding tractors, can't exceed Longmont's fixed noise standards outside 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. under Municipal Code § 10.20.100(D)(3); mufflers must stay in good repair, and snow blowers and snowplows are exempt from the hours.
D.Additional noise standards and exemptions for specific operations and activities...3.Homeowners' outdoor equipment.i.No person shall operate engine- or motor-powered lawn or maintenance tools intended for use in residential areas such as power mowers, leaf blowers, garden tools, riding tractors, power saws, edgers, and similar equipment that would create a noise that exceeds the fixed source standards stated above, except between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.ii.Where applicable, homeowners' outdoor equipment shall have mufflers that are kept in good working condition.iii.Snow blowers and snowplows are exempted from the time requirements of this section when necessary to remove ice and snow.
Full Breakdown
), both measured 25 feet from the source, with commercial and industrial zones held to higher caps. Subsection (D)(3)(ii) separately requires that homeowners' outdoor equipment carry a muffler kept in good working condition. Subsection (D)(3)(iii) carves snow blowers and snowplows out of the time restriction entirely whenever they're needed to clear ice or snow. Anyone who can't reasonably meet the standard, a landscaping crew on a tight schedule, for instance, can petition the city manager or a designee under subsection (G) for a temporary hardship permit; it runs no more than 90 days, and a denial can be appealed to city council within seven days and then to court under Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 106(a)(4).
Violations & Fines
Chapter 10.20 sets no separate criminal fine for a leaf-blower violation, so the Title 1.12.010 general penalty applies: up to a $500 fine and up to 90 days. Section 10.20.110 additionally deems a violation of § 10.20.100 a public nuisance, letting the city attorney sue to enjoin repeated or ongoing noise from a property.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can I use a leaf blower in Longmont?
Are snow blowers covered by the same hours?
What if a landscaping crew needs to run loud equipment outside those hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Longmont
How Longmont compares: Cities with the Strictest Leaf Blower Rules·Compare Longmont to another location·View the Colorado noise ordinances overview
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Leaf Blower Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Boulder County handle leaf blower rules.