San Bernardino County, CA Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- County leaf-blower ban
- None in unincorporated areas
- Applicable noise rule
- Dev. Code 83.01.080 + County Code 24.0705
- Residential standard
- 55 dB(A) day / 45 dB(A) night (Table 5)
- Effective hours
- Loudest use should stay within 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
- State equipment rule
- CA bans sale of new gas blowers (CARB SORE / AB 1346)
- Complaint basis
- Disturbing/excessive noise (24.0705, two-witness rule)
Summary
Unincorporated San Bernardino County has no ordinance banning or specifically restricting leaf blowers. Their use is governed by the general noise rules: the Development Code stationary-source standards (55 dB(A) day / 45 dB(A) night at a residence) and the County's prohibition on disturbing, excessive, or offensive noise (Section 24.0705). New gas blowers are also subject to California's statewide small-engine rule.
Existing law imposes various limitations on the emissions of air contaminants for the control of air pollution from vehicular and nonvehicular sources. [...] This bill would require the state board, by July 1, 2022, consistent with federal law, to adopt cost-effective and technologically feasible regulations to prohibit engine exhaust and evaporative emissions from new small off-road engines, as defined by the state board. The bill would require the state board to identify and, to the extent feasible, make available funding for commercial rebates or similar incentive funding for the transition of commercial gasoline-powered landscaping equipment to zero-emission equivalents.
Full Breakdown
Research of the San Bernardino County Code and Development Code found no county ordinance that bans leaf blowers or sets leaf-blower-specific hours or decibel limits in unincorporated areas (unlike some California cities). Leaf-blower noise is therefore regulated only through the County's general noise provisions. m. (Table 5), with short-duration allowances above those levels. 0705 separately makes it unlawful to create noise that is disturbing, excessive, or offensive to a reasonable person, which can apply to early-morning or prolonged blower use. Separately, California state law (AB 1346 and the California Air Resources Board's Small Off-Road Engine regulation) prohibits the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers and other small off-road engines in California, effective for the 2024 model year.
That state rule restricts the sale of new equipment statewide; it is not a County ordinance and does not by itself ban using equipment you already own.
Violations & Fines
There is no leaf-blower-specific County penalty. Excessive or early/late blower noise can be cited under the general nuisance rule (Section 24.0705) or measured against the Development Code residential standards. A Section 24.0705 complaint generally needs declarations from two neighboring residents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are leaf blowers banned in unincorporated San Bernardino County?
Can I still buy a gas-powered leaf blower in California?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino County
How San Bernardino County compares: Cities with the Strictest Leaf Blower Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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