Ocala, FL Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)

City Code § 34-174(6) exempts 'the operation of noise-producing lawn mowers, lawn edgers, weed trimmers, blowers, chippers, chain saws, power tools and other noise-producing tools which are used to maintain real property between sunrise and sunset on any day of any week' from the citywide excessive-noise ban in § 34-173. The exemption is not limited to weekdays; it applies every day of the week as long as the work happens in daylight. Because 'sunrise' and 'sunset' are defined in § 34-172 by the times published each day in the Ocala Star-Banner, the exempt window shifts with the seasons rather than sitting on a fixed clock schedule.

A landscaper or homeowner running a gas leaf blower, chainsaw, or mower before sunrise or after sunset loses the § 34-174(6) exemption, and the noise is then measured against the general definitions in § 34-172, typically the residential or nonresidential noise standards that set an audibility distance (50 to 100 feet, depending on time and area) rather than a decibel limit. Section 34-173(a) makes causing that noise unlawful once the exemption no longer applies, and § 34-173(b) presumes a knowing violation after an officer's warning goes unheeded.

Ocala's ordinance draws no separate distinction between gas-powered and electric tools; the exemption turns on the sunrise-to-sunset window, not the power source. Violations are punished under City Code § 1-9.