Bans in VA
Arlington County Board Unanimously Bans gas blowers. . On July 18th 2026, Arlington The ban will go into effect on January 1, 2029.
Alexandria City – gas leaf blower ban, effective Nov 2026
Alexandria City, first locality in VA to ban gas blowers, Alex. Times, May 28, 2025
Falls Church City, VA, considers a ban in 2026, Oct 29th, 2025
Bans are difficult in Va because Va is a Dillon Rule state. William & Mary Law Review: Breaking up with the Dillon Rule, Oct 2020
Ban in D.C.
Quiet Clean D.C. – gas leaf blower ban, effective Jan 1st, 2022. Rebates. Enforcement: residents email complaint forms with photo evidence; fine: “not more than $500”. Rebates.
Transcript of the D.C. public hearings on gas leaf blower ban, July 2018
Chronicle of D.C.’s gas blower ban – how they did it, James Fallows
Bans in MD
Montgomery County gas leaf blower ban, effective July 1st, 2025. Fine: $500. State property is exempt such as state parks and public schools. Rebates available. Enforcement is done by DEP. No fines are imposed until the 4th violation.
Residents must do the work of reporting violators via complaint forms.
As of Nov 4th, resident complaint forms no longer require photo evidence; this was waived by the Transport Committee. It is no longer even possible to upload a photo on the form. A more serious obstacle for residents is that their email addresses, telephone numbers, and home addresses will be shared with violators issued with fines thereby exposing these residents to harassment. A resident must also be willing to go to court.
Since July 1st, 2025, 600 complaints have led to only 6 fine citations. DEP cannot say if the fines were paid. Source: DEP staffer, Nov 24th, 2025.
Chevy Chase Village gas leaf blower ban – fine $500. Chevy Chase Village, a community of 720 homes in Montgomery County, has successfully implemented its ban on gas leaf blowers since Jan 2022. In the words of a resident: “We spent a couple of years educating residents about the ills of gas-powered landscape equipment and held demonstrations of battery-powered alternatives with companies who had converted to electric power. We also worked with local hardware stores to help promote their battery-powered equipment.
Of course, we are at an advantage in the Village in that we have our own local Police Force who help enforce the ban. The process is relatively straightforward: we use photographs to document a violation, call it in to the Village Management and ask them to dispatch an officer to the site to confirm. It is not always possible for the officer to arrive before the landscaper has left the scene, but with photos or video footage of the gas leaf blowers in use and the name of the company, Village Management will call the company to let them know a complaint was filed. Equally important, they call the resident and let them know of the reported violation, without the complainant being identified. In cases in which the police arrive in time to confirm the violation, or evidence is indisputable, either a warning is issued (for the first violation) or a citation given if this is a repeat offense. The Village keeps stats on the complaints and how many of these result in fines. The rate has declined dramatically in the last couple of years and compliance is very high. It is rare to see a GPLB in operation in the Village and the difference in quality of outdoor life since the ban went into effect is like night and day. Residents are very, very happy with the ban and have found ways to work with the small operators so that they, too, are in compliance. Sometimes this involves purchasing battery-powered equipment for them to use among a group of clients in the neighborhood, or allowing them to recharge spare batteries plugged into outlets on the property.”
Takoma Park gas leaf blower ban
Takoma Park(area 2 square miles, shares a border with D.C.) is a separate jurisdiction in Montgomery County. Its ban (effective July 1st, 2025) is enforced by Code inspectors who may conduct random inspections in neighborhoods. Residents may also email complaints. One witness is enough. No photo evidence needed. Since July 1st, about 5 residents complained. No repeat offenders. No fines issued so far. A fine is issued after one warning. (Source of info: a code inspector on Dec 10, 2025.)
The City is installing 2 high-speed EV charging stations (at the Community Center and an apartment complex.) This could help landscapers with EV trucks charge their electric leaf blower batteries from their EV truck battery. Source of info: Council member Landman on Dec 9th, 2025
Annapolis gas leaf blower ban, effective Dec 30th, 2024. Enforcement was delayed until March 31, 2025. Fines: first offense $100, all subsequent $200. How to report a complaint: no clear info on City website. Rebates: up to $1,500 for landscapers, residents up to $100.
Baltimore gas blower ban to start Dec 2026
Hyattsville, MD, gas leaf blower ban, effective July 1st, 2024. Enforcement by both complaints and zoning compliance staff; fines after 3rd violation; first offense $100, all subsequent $200. However, there’s a quirk: the Code Compliance Team can’t issue citations without seeing the violation in action, though when notified, they try and visit the property in a timely manner. Rebates for landscapers and homeowners. (Hyattsville, Prince George’s County, has 21,187 residents, 2020 Census.)
University Park, MD, gas leaf blower ban, effective Jan 1st, 2024. Enforcement: resident complaint forms with photo or video, fines $200 per violation. Rebates for residents only. (University Park, Prince George’s County, has 2,454 residents, 2020 Census).