Leaf Blowers

Information for professional landscapers and residents of Santa Barbara County

Gasoline-powered leaf blowers produce emissions of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons, which can form smog. They also emit carbon monoxide, air toxics, and greenhouse gases, and they stir particles into the air, contributing to particle pollution.

Use of leaf blowers is particularly problematic after wildfire events since the blowers force ash particles that have settled on the ground back up into the air. To learn more about dust particles and your health, visit  this page.

Here are some tips for the use of leaf blowers.

• Be a considerate neighbor. Ask your neighbors if they are being impacted. Remember, in warm weather, many people like to leave their windows open, and soil and dust may be blown directly into their homes.
• Use an alternative to leaf blowers, such as gentle sweeping with a push broom followed by light hosing with water, or use of a high-quality shop-vacuum equipped with a high-efficiency particulate filter and a disposable filter bag. If you use a landscaping service, ask them not to use leaf blowers.
• Be aware of wind direction, and alert your landscaping service to this issue. If the neighbors’ windows are open, or there are children playing nearby and the wind is blowing that way, it is not a good time to use a leaf blower.

Under the City of Santa Barbara's Municipal Code (9.16.020-021), it is illegal to use gasoline-powered leaf blowers in the City of Santa Barbara at any time. Individuals affected by the use of gasoline-powered leaf blowers within Santa Barbara city limits may contact the City Police Department at 897-2410.

Outside the City of Santa Barbara, gasoline-powered leaf blowers are allowed to be used. Individuals affected by dust or pollution resulting from leaf blowers may call the District at 961-8800 to make a complaint. (Visit our complaints process web page to learn more.)

Additional Resources

• Green Gardener Program for Santa Barbara County
• California Air Resources Board report on the health and environmental impacts of leaf blowers
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fact sheet on reducing lawn equipment emissions (pdf)