Alexandria City Council Passes Ordinance to Regulate the Use of Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers

The City of Alexandria will no longer allow the use of gas-powered leaf blowers within City limits after November 17, 2026.

The Alexandria City Council adopted ordinance amendments on May 17th banning gas-powered leaf blowers, making Alexandria the first jurisdiction in Virginia to enact such a prohibition. The ordinance follows a request made by Council for Department of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) staff to gather information about possible regulation of the equipment after receiving numerous complaints and a petition. The purpose of the ban is to eliminate unnecessary noise generated by gas-powered leaf blowers and to protect the environment by eliminating exhaust associated with the use of gas-powered leaf blowers.

The ordinance amendments were adopted on May 17th and include a phase-out of 18-months, with the ban going into effect on November 17, 2026. The City operations are required to make the transition by July 1, 2026.

Prior to the first ordinance reading, T&ES staff sought input from stakeholders via social media posts, eNews, a survey, emails and phone calls, sessions with the City Council, and two public meetings to share information about the proposal. Recordings from the public meetings are available on the City Noise website.