Southampton, NY Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Seasonal ban
- Gas blowers banned May 20 to September 20
- Off-season hours
- 8 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays
- No Sunday/holiday use
- Banned all day Sundays and federal holidays
- Small-lot limit
- Max two handheld blowers under half acre
- First offense fine
- $250 to $1,000 plus Town costs
- Governing section
- Southampton Town Code § 235-2B
Summary
In the Town of Southampton outside the villages, gas-powered leaf blowers are banned outright from May 20 through September 20 each year under § 235-2.B. The rest of the year they are allowed only 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, never Sundays or federal holidays, with limits on blower size and count on smaller lots.
Gas-powered leaf blowers shall not be used/operated within the unincorporated portions of the Town of Southampton from May 20 through and including September 20. ... Operation and use shall only be between 8:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. Saturdays, and there will be no use permitted on Sundays or federal holidays ... Walk-behind gas-powered leaf blowers may not be used unless the property that is being cleaned is greater than 1/2 acre. ... No more than a total of two gas-powered handheld or backpack leaf blowers may be used at a time, unless the property that is being cleaned is greater than 1/2 acre.
Full Breakdown
Southampton's Town Board added a seasonal gas-powered leaf blower ban to the noise chapter, § 235-2.B, restricting their use across the unincorporated hamlets, Hampton Bays, Water Mill, Bridgehampton, Westhampton, East Quogue, Flanders, Riverside and Noyack among them. From May 20 through September 20 each year, the code states plainly that gas-powered leaf blowers shall not be used or operated within the unincorporated portions of the Town of Southampton. Outside that summer season, from September 21 through May 19, gas blowers may run only between 8:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m.
Monday through Friday and 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. Saturdays, with no use at all on Sundays or federal holidays. Two further limits apply on smaller lots: walk-behind gas-powered blowers cannot be used at all unless the property being cleaned is greater than 1/2 acre, and no more than two handheld or backpack gas blowers may run at once on a property under that half-acre threshold. Off-season use must also conform to the homeowner's-light-residential-outdoor-equipment noise standards in § 235-3. The restriction does not apply to electric or battery-powered leaf blowers, which fall instead under the general homeowner's-equipment exception in § 235-4 for intermittent daytime use. The ordinance took effect through Local Law No. 9-2022, filed with the Secretary of State and made operative September 20, 2022.
Violations & Fines
Leaf-blower violations are carved out of the chapter's general penalty and carry their own escalating fine schedule under § 235-6.B: not less than $250 nor more than $1,000 for a first offense, plus the Town's costs; $500 to $2,500 for a second offense within two years; and $2,500 to $5,000 for a third or subsequent offense within two years. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a gas leaf blower in Southampton in July?
What are the off-season hours for gas leaf blowers?
What is the fine for violating the leaf blower rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Southampton
How Southampton compares: Cities with the Strictest Leaf Blower Rules·New York rules heatmap·Compare Southampton to another location·View the New York noise ordinances overview
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