Leaf Blower Ordinance

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Ordinance Requirements & Enforcement

The City of Palm Springs prohibits the use of gasoline-powered blowers for any purpose - especially, lawn maintenance. (Ord. 1932 § 3, 2017; PSMC 11.74.043(k)) This ban applies anywhere within the City limits.

In addition to banning the use of gasoline blowers, the ordinance also prohibits users from blowing debris into the street or onto adjacent properties. Individual residents or companies that are found operating gas blowers are subject to the following citations:

$100 for first offense
$250 for second offense
$500 for third and subsequent offenses

Report violations to the Code Enforcement Compliance Hotline at 760-778-8434 or on the “Report Issues” section of the myPalmSprings App available on the App Store and Google Play.

Please include as much information as possible in your report – location, time, company name, and your contact information and a picture if possible.

Click here to download our latest enforcement flyer.

Funding for Electric Leaf Blowers

Residents

The City of Palm Springs Sustainability Commission and Office of Sustainability is offering a rebate when you exchange a working gasoline-powered leaf blower for an electric leaf blower at Yoshi Lawnmower Shop. The rebate is 40% of the price of the new blower up to a maximum rebate of $100. The application form provides additional details. There are models there for every budget! You must also fill out and submit a W-9 Form along with your application.

Professional Gardeners and Landscapers

Licensed businesses may be eligible for a rebate through the City's Sustainable Business Scholarship Program. Gardeners and landscapers can receive up to $750 for the purchase of electric lawn equipment or replacement batteries. Click one of the links below for a fact sheet and application form.

Sustainability Scholarship for Gardeners (Spanish)

Sustainability Scholarship for Gardeners (English)

You can also find more information on the City's Sustainability Scholarship web page.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) does not have funding in place at this time for the Commercial Electric Lawn & Garden Equipment Incentive & Exchange Program but they may provide funding in the future.

Best Practices for Using Electric Blowers

Electric blowers perform differently than gasoline-powered units. It is important to operate them correctly to maximize battery life and performance.

1. Have extra charged batteries ready to go. Battery life varies by brand and model, but you will likely need to change your battery at least once during the day if you plan to use it all day.

2. Only use them intermittently. Short bursts will use less energy.

3. Keep spare batteries in a cooler in the summer months so the heat doesn't drain them.

4. Ask owners to allow you to charge batteries while you are on site.

5. Buy the best unit you can afford - take advantage of rebates and discounts.

Outreach History

Ordinance Development

The City conducted input sessions when developing the ordinance.

Learn more about the original Leaf Blower Strategy for the City of Palm Springs:

After the Ordinance Passed

Following passage of the ordinance, the City developed brochures and incorporated the ordinance into the business license renewal process for gardeners and landscapers. This helped remind gardeners of the requirements and asked them to pledge to comply.

After the Ordinance Took Effect

The ordinance took effect on January 1, 2019. In the first six months of 2019, the City increased outreach efforts in advance of the July 1 enforcement date. In addition to sending letters directly to all gardeners, the City also sent letters to all residents to remind them of the ordinance requirements and share incentive programs for obtaining discounted blowers. Click here to read the letter to residents. City staff attended ONE PS meetings to distribute flyers and share information to enlist their help in spreading the word about the ordinance.

City enforcement staff responded to complaints in the January - June 2019 time frame with educational material and information to further reinforce the message that the ordinance was coming, and it was important that everyone comply.

The City also hosted an Electric Lawn Equipment Demonstration Day in March 2019. Through that event, the City was able to connect to over 200 gardeners, landscapers, and residents and demonstrate a wide variety of electric blowers and other lawn equipment. Hundreds of electric units were sold following the event.

The City ran two rounds of radio ads on Spanish-speaking stations to further get the word out about the ordinance and the pending enforcement deadline.

Finally, city staff spent several days canvassing neighborhoods to post flyers on landscaping trucks throughout Palm Springs to connect with as many people as possible before the enforcement deadline hit.

The City is launching a new round of outreach in December 2020 and January 2021 to remind gardeners about the requirements and continue to encourage compliance.

Ordinance Development Information

City of Palm Springs City Council Votes to Ban all Gasoline Powered Leaf Blowers; Enforcement Will Not Officially Begin Until an Exchange Program is in Place

The new City of Palm Springs ordinance prohibiting gas-powered leaf blowers will go into effect Jan. 1, 2019. However, enforcement will not officially begin until an exchange program is in place, which could be sometime in April, 2019.

In the meantime, stay tuned for more information coming soon about the new incentive program aimed at helping residents and landscapers exchange their gas-powered blowers for electric.

On June 23, 2016, at a joint meeting of the City Council and Sustainability Commission, the City Council received a presentation on development of regulations limiting the use of leaf blowers throughout the City, and directed the Sustainability Commission to conduct studies and develop options for the reductions and/or elimination of gas powered leaf blowers.

Subsequently, following Council’s direction, at its meeting of December 20, 2016, the Sustainability Commission unanimously approved a recommendation that the City Council phase out gas powered leaf blowers and eliminate them in all areas/zoning of the City by December 31, 2018. The Sustainability Commission also recommended a program to test battery powered blowers and other maintenance equipment by City employees and contractors, and that the City provide an exchange program for gardener/landscaper-owned gas powered leaf blowers.

At its meeting of May 17, 2017, the City Council considered an Ordinance to amend the Palm Springs Municipal Code to prohibit the use of gasoline-powered leaf blowers with an effective date of January 1, 2019. At that time, the Council directed staff to review and return for consideration an Ordinance prohibiting the use of both gasoline-powered and electrical/battery-powered leaf blowers within the City.

This item has returned to Council upon its direction and will allow Council to consider adopting an Ordinance to regulate the operation of leaf blowers (either gasoline-powered, or both gasoline-powered and electrical/battery-powered).

At the July 19, 2017 City Council Meeting the following Ordinance was approved:

Waive the reading of text in its entirety, read by title only, and introduce for first reading Ordinance No. _(TBD)_, “AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, ADDING SUBSECTION (k) TO SECTION 11.74.043 AND SECTION 5.78.050, AND AMENDING SECTION 5.78.010 OF THE PALM SPRINGS MUNICIPAL CODE, REGARDING LOUD, UNUSUAL NOISES AND LANDSCAPE RELATED BUSINESSES, PROHIBITING GASOLINE POWERED LEAF BLOWERS IN THE CITY AS A PER SE NUISANCE COMMENCING ON JANUARY 1, 2019, AND PROVIDING FOR REGULATION OF ELECTRICAL OR BATTERY POWERED LEAF BLOWERS.”