Ventura, CA Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SBMC § 10.650.150(E)
- Allowed hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Curfew hours
- 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Covered tools
- saws, sanders, drills, grinders, lawnmowers, garden tools
- Residential exterior limit
- 50 dB day / 45 dB night
- Gas-engine ban
- none; rule is hours-based
Summary
In a residential zone in the City of Ventura, power saws, sanders, drills, grinders, lawnmowers, leaf blowers and similar garden tools cannot run between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under San Buenaventura Municipal Code Section 10.650.150(E). The same tools are allowed between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
E. Domestic Power Tools, Machinery. Between the hours of 8:00 p.m. of one day and 7:00 a.m. of the next, no person in a residential zone shall operate or permit the operation of any mechanically powered saw, sander, drill, grinder, lawnmower or garden tool or similar tool so as to create any noise which exceeds the noise level limits of this article. These specified domestic activities are permitted between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
130. window; the exterior limit for a residential property is 50 dB in the daytime portion of that window and 45 dB overnight, which the tool itself will typically exceed if run outside the permitted hours. The rule is written around hours and decibel limits rather than a categorical ban on gas engines, so a landscaper is not required to use an electric or battery blower, only to schedule work within the domestic power tool hours. 150 for commercial gardening businesses working residential routes.
Violations & Fines
A leaf blower or garden tool run outside the 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. window in a residential zone is cited under the general noise-chapter penalty in Section 10.650.180(A), which applies the schedule in Sections 1.150.010 through 1.150.070; a pattern of early-morning or late-night violations at the same address can also be treated as a public nuisance subject to an injunction under Section 10.650.180(B).
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I use a leaf blower in Ventura?
Does Ventura require electric leaf blowers instead of gas ones?
Can a landscaping company use leaf blowers on Sunday mornings in Ventura?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
How Ventura compares: Cities with the Strictest Leaf Blower Rules·California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Leaf Blower Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle leaf blower rules.