Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Ban

The Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE) is a program set in place to assist small businesses and sole proprietors (or unincorporated businesses) in purchasing zero-emission equipment in California. This program helps businesses purchase electric equipment, including electric leaf blowers, at a discounted rate.

Senate Bill 170 appropriated $27 million to the California Clean Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE) to provide incentives for professional landscape services in California operated by a small business or sole proprietor. These funds are intended to purchase qualifying zero-emission professional landscape service equipment.

Please visit https://californiacore.org/equipment-category/landscaping-gardening/ for a list of commercial leaf-blowers eligible for up to a $400 discount.

Equipment users do not apply for CORE vouchers. CORE approved dealers are responsible for securing CORE voucher funding through the online Voucher Processing Center. A purchaser should connect with a CORE approved dealer to acquire their equipment, and the dealer will receive the voucher. If you have a trusted dealer relationship or already have a piece of equipment in mind, connect us with your dealer, and we can help them become CORE approved.

A The owner or responsible official must provide a California issued photo driver’s license or identification card and at lease one of the following supporting documents:

• C-27 Landscape Contractors License
• Entity number from the California Secretary of State
• Copy of a current and valid business license
• Business card and dealer attestation

Yes, however funding is capped at $25,000 per eligible purchaser.

There are (3) authorized dealers in Pasadena. Please visit https://californiacore.org/dealerlist/ for a list of all dealers.

Although small, gas-powered leaf blowers have highly polluting engines which can result in significant health impacts for the community, but particularly the equipment operators. In addition to smog-forming emissions and toxic fumes, gas-powered leaf blowers also create carbon-dioxide emissions that contribute to the climate crisis. Using a gas-powered backpack leaf blower for just one hour generates the same smog-forming emissions as a car driven for 1,100 miles. This ban will improve air quality, public health, and noise pollution.

No, the allowed hours for any person to operate a leaf blower remain 8:00 a.m. through 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays; and not permitted on Sundays at any time.

Property owners are not exempt from this ordinance.

Yes, it is unlawful to operate a leaf blower with a maximum noise level of 65 decibels when measured from a distance of 50 feet.

Commercial areas 500 feet from a residential area are exempt from restricted days and hours, use of gas leaf blower is still prohibited.

No, only one electric leaf blower is allowed to be used on a parcel at a time.

The owner of the landscape company or operator will be held responsible.

Yes, at the direction of emergency responders, gas-powered leaf blowers may be used for the purposes of responding to an emergency, or necessary to protect or save lives or property from eminent danger of loss or harm.

You can operate a leaf blower for no more than 15 minutes per hour on a parcel less than ½ acre, and no more than 30 minutes per hour on a parcel greater than ½ acre.

You can contact the Code Compliance Division at (626) 744-8633, or online at www.cityofpasadena.net/citizen-service-center/submit-a-request  for questions or concerns regarding leaf blower use.

Initial enforcement action is a Warning Notice, failure to comply with the Warning Notice will result in the issuance of administrative citations. 1^st citation is $124, 2^nd citation is $255, 3^rd citation is $643 and 4^th citation is $1,000.