Gas leaf blowers are illegal

Banned in Los Angeles since 1998. Rarely enforced. Snap a photo, tap send, and your report lands on a public map the city can’t ignore.

See the map Write to the city

One photo. We find the location and time. One tap to send. No account, no typing.

Report a gas leaf blower in one tap

Short videos work too: 10 seconds or less, saved with sound, so please don’t record conversations. Tip: take the photo with your phone camera with location turned on. Photos sent through some messaging apps lose their location; if that happens, we’ll ask for the address. No photo? Report by address instead.

Also file with the city. A 311 complaint creates the official record. File a MyLA311 complaint Or email 311 instead

Each report below has a “Copy 311 text” link so you can paste the details straight into the city’s form. Prefer email? [email protected] works too: one tap, and the city forwards it to the Bureau of Street Services.

Reported violations

How to read this map. Each dot is placed by the phone’s GPS, so the address shown is the nearest address to where the photo was taken. It may not be the exact building whose crew is using the blower. That is fine, because the point is the pattern: if an inspector stands at that spot at that day and time, they will find the operators for themselves. This map is not about the city mailing letters to buildings, which is what 311 says it does. It is real-world data on where and when violations happen, so inspectors can go see who is responsible.
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Download the data or send a letter using these numbers

Most reported locations

    Only locations with 2 or more reports are listed.

    Latest incidents

      Sorted by the date of the incident, not the date it was uploaded. Showing up to the 100 most recent matches. Scroll the list, or use the filters above to narrow it.

      Turn reports into pressure

      Pick who you want to write to. The letter fills in live numbers from the map. Edit it, then send.

      Download all data (CSV)

      You can also leave a public comment on Council File 24-0055 and attach a link to this map.

      The laws that need enforcing

      LAMC § 112.04(c): bans use of gas-powered leaf blowers within 500 feet of a residence. In effect since 1998. LAPD has primary enforcement authority, and the Bureau of Street Services also takes complaints.
      LAMC § 112.05: limits noise from powered equipment used near homes. A second, separate violation when a machine is too loud.
      City Council File 24-0055: 2024 motion asking the city to report on complaints and citations, enforcement gaps and staffing, and to consider tiered fines for repeat offenders and citing property owners instead of crew members. Track it at the City Clerk.
      California small off-road engine rules (AB 1346 / CARB): new gas-powered blowers can no longer be sold in California as of 2024.
      West Hollywood Municipal Code: West Hollywood has its own ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, enforced by WeHo Code Enforcement rather than LA 311. Report at weho.org/servicerequest or in the WeHo app, or call Code Enforcement at (323) 848-6516. WeHo asks for the address, day of the week and approximate time. Verify current contacts at weho.org.
      Santa Monica: gas-powered leaf blowers have been banned since 1991. Since July 2023 only zero-emission electric blowers rated at or below 70 decibels are allowed. The city holds property owners, tenants and landscaping employers responsible, not the hired landscapers, and accepts photo or video evidence through its 311 noise-complaint form.
      Culver City: since November 24, 2022, leaf blowers must not exceed 65 decibels. They may only be used 8 AM to 6 PM Monday to Friday and 10 AM to 5 PM on weekends. Report noise through the city’s online portal or call Enforcement Services at (310) 253-5940.
      Beverly Hills: gas-powered leaf blowers are prohibited by the Beverly Hills Municipal Code; electric blowers are allowed. Report through the city’s online request portal (askBH): choose “Leaf Blower” from the drop-down and give the address, date and time.
      Burbank: Burbank Municipal Code §§ 4-1-1001 to 4-1-1004 (Ordinance 25-4,037) make it unlawful to operate or authorize the operation of a gas-powered leaf blower anywhere in the city, at any time. The person who authorizes the work is responsible, regardless of who owns the blower. Violations are infractions: up to $100, up to $200 for a second within a year, up to $500 for a third or later, plus possible administrative fines. Report to Code Enforcement at (818) 238-5225 or [email protected].

      After you send a report in one of these cities, this page offers the right next step: copy-and-paste text plus a button that opens that city’s complaint portal (with an email option for Beverly Hills and Santa Monica). West Hollywood and Burbank use email.

      What we’re asking the city to do

      • Send inspectors to the mapped locations at the days and times shown, and identify the responsible operators in person.
      • Publish complaint and citation counts every year, by council district.
      • Cite the property owner or contracting company, with higher fines for repeat addresses.
      • Accept photo and video evidence as enough to open a case.
      • Fund enforcement and a simple, one-step reporting system.

      Switching is cheap

      Landscapers can get help paying for electric equipment:

      • SCAQMD Commercial Electric Lawn and Garden Equipment Incentive & Exchange: point-of-sale vouchers up to $1,400 (85% off) on electric blowers and other equipment. A working gas or diesel unit must be scrapped.
      • SCAQMD Battery Buy-Down Rebate: up to 75% off replacement batteries for equipment bought through the program above.
      • CARB CORE voucher program: for small businesses and sole proprietors, up to $300 per handheld blower and $400 per backpack blower, with no scrappage required.

      Check aqmd.gov and CARB for current availability.

      Verify current code text, phone numbers and fines at the LA Municipal Code before relying on them.

      Questions

      Are gas leaf blowers illegal in Los Angeles?

      Yes. LAMC 112.04(c) bans them within 500 feet of a residence, which covers nearly all residential neighborhoods.

      What does the city need to act?

      Officers generally need to witness the violation or get clear photographic evidence of the equipment, the address and the time. This site collects exactly that.

      Are electric or battery leaf blowers allowed in Los Angeles?

      Yes. The city ban in LAMC 112.04(c) applies to gas-powered blowers. Electric and battery blowers are allowed, although noise rules can still apply near homes.

      Who enforces the gas leaf blower ban in Los Angeles?

      City documents list LAPD as the primary enforcer, and the Bureau of Street Services also accepts complaints. Residents can file through MyLA311. Confirm current contacts with the city.

      Is the address on a dot the exact building?

      Not necessarily. Locations come from the GPS in the photo, so the address is the nearest one to where the photographer stood. The map shows where and when blowers are used. Inspectors who go to that spot at that time can see the crew themselves.

      Why a public map?

      One complaint is easy to close. A pattern of the same address, same weekday, same hour is much harder to ignore.