Chesterfield County, VA Noise Ordinances: Leaf Blower Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Quiet hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Covers
- Lawn care, leaf removal, tree, landscaping noise
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, fine $100.00-$500.00
- Charging requirement
- Magistrate complaint or officer witness required
- Governing section
- County Code § 14-27(g)-(h)
Summary
Chesterfield County Code § 14-27(g) bars plainly audible noise from lawn care, leaf removal, gardening, tree work or other landscaping in residential areas between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. A violation is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of $100.00 to $500.00, but subsection (h) requires a complainant to first ask the responsible party to stop, or catch the officer's own observation, before a charge can be filed.
(g)To allow or create plainly audible noise in residential areas between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in connection with lawn care, leaf removal, gardening, tree maintenance or removal and other landscaping, lawn or timbering activities.(h)Violations of this section shall constitute a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100.00 nor more than $500.00. No person shall be charged with a violation of this section unless (i) a complainant appears before a magistrate and alleges the specific violation complained of, and that the complainant requested or made a reasonable attempt to request abatement of the violation; or (ii) a violation is committed in the presence of a police officer.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
The leaf-blower and lawn-noise rule is one clause inside § 14-27, Chesterfield's general noise ordinance, which opens by declaring "It shall be unlawful for any person" to do the things listed in subsections (a) through (g). in connection with lawn care, leaf removal, gardening, tree maintenance or removal, and other landscaping, lawn or timbering activities, catching gas leaf blowers, mowers, chainsaws and similar equipment used by homeowners and landscaping crews alike. for indoor-audible noise and until 300 feet outdoors during the day. quiet window, so landscaping noise is unregulated by this section during normal daytime working hours.
00, and it builds in a screening requirement before police can even charge someone: no one may be charged unless a complainant appears before a magistrate and alleges the specific violation and shows that the complainant asked, or reasonably tried to ask, for the noise to stop, or unless an officer personally witnesses the violation. 2-919.
Violations & Fines
A subsection (g) violation is a straight misdemeanor, not a civil citation: subsection (h) sets a fine of not less than $100.00 nor more than $500.00, with no separate escalation for repeat offenses the way some of the county's other nuisance rules do. Critically, no charge can be filed unless either a complainant swears out the violation before a magistrate after first asking the noise-maker to stop, or a police officer independently witnesses the landscaping noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a landscaping crew use leaf blowers early in the morning in Chesterfield County?
How much is the fine for running a leaf blower late at night in Chesterfield County?
Do I have to complain to police before they can ticket a neighbor's leaf blower?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chesterfield County
How Chesterfield County compares: Cities with the Strictest Leaf Blower Rules·Compare Chesterfield County to another location·View the Virginia noise ordinances overview
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