Mount Vernon, NY Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Gas blower season
- Mar 1-Apr 30 and Oct 1-Dec 31
- Non-gas season
- June 15 to September 30
- Hours
- Mon-Sat, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Noise cap
- 65 decibels
- Escalating fines
- Warning, then $250/$500/$1,000
- Landscaper permit
- Required annually from City Clerk
Summary
Mount Vernon bans gas-powered leaf blowers outside two set windows, March 1 to April 30 and October 1 to December 31, under City Code § 191-42. Non-gas blowers run June 15 to September 30, and every blower is limited to 65 decibels and Monday-through-Saturday daytime hours.
No person shall operate a gas-powered leaf and lawn blower for any purpose except during the months of March 1 through April 30 and October 1 through December 31 of each year. Any other non-gas leaf blowers may be operated from June 15 through September 30. This will allow for the complete collection and removal of leaves that fall throughout the year. Any person violating this prohibition shall be subject to a written warning for the first offense, a fine not to exceed $250 for the second offense, $500 for the third offense, and $1,000 for the fourth ... and any subsequent offense thereafter. The operator of the leaf blower and the homeowner shall be subject to the fine.
Full Breakdown
Article VIII of Chapter 191, adopted November 2020 and amended twice in 2023, confines gas-powered leaf and lawn blower use to the fall and early-spring leaf season: March 1 through April 30 and October 1 through December 31. Non-gas blowers get a separate summer window, June 15 through September 30, so a homeowner or landscaper cannot legally run either type of blower during the gap months. , and Subsection C bans all leaf-blower use on Sundays except by a resident on their own property during those same hours.
Subsection D caps the noise from any leaf blower at 65 decibels. Enforcement escalates with each repeat offense rather than fining on the first violation: a written warning for the first offense, then a $250 fine for the second, $500 for the third, and $1,000 for the fourth and every offense after that, and both the person operating the blower and the property's homeowner can be fined. Article VIII also created a landscaper permit system: any landscaping business operating in Mount Vernon must register annually with the City Clerk under Subsection E, and a landscaper caught running a gas blower without that permit faces a steeper, separate fine schedule under Subsection G, $500 for a first offense, $750 for a second, and $1,000 for every offense after that.
Subsection J suspends the whole article during a declared state of emergency by the City, Westchester County, or New York State, and Subsection K puts enforcement in the hands of both the Department of Public Works and the Police Department.
Violations & Fines
Leaf-blower violations escalate rather than fine immediately: a first offense draws only a written warning, then $250 for a second offense, $500 for a third, and $1,000 for the fourth and beyond, charged to both the operator and the homeowner. An unpermitted landscaper faces a steeper schedule of $500, $750, then $1,000 per offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
When can I use a gas leaf blower in Mount Vernon?
What about electric or battery leaf blowers?
Do landscapers need a permit to use leaf blowers?
What's the fine for a first leaf blower violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mount Vernon
How Mount Vernon compares: Cities with the Strictest Leaf Blower Rules·New York rules heatmap·Compare Mount Vernon to another location·View the New York noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Leaf Blower Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Westchester County handle leaf blower rules.