Gas Leaf Blower Bans Went Year-Round in 2026: What the Battery Shift Means for Your Yard Gear

Several towns used to limit gas leaf blowers by season. Rye, New York, for example, allowed them only during spring and fall cleanup periods, March 1 to April 30 and October 1 to December 15. In 2026 several places went further: Portland, Oregon began a phase-out on January 1, Arlington, Massachusetts ended gas blower use for everyone on March 15, and Rye made its ban year-round on May 1.

Meanwhile the battery tools that replace gas keep getting bigger, up to battery riding mowers. Here is where the rules stand, what equipment makers report, and whether to switch now.

Trend Signal

64/100 Steady momentum

1. Emerging
2. Rising
3. Mainstream
4. Peaking
5. Cooling

Local bans turn year-round while battery gear becomes the default

Portland began phasing out gas leaf blowers on January 1, 2026, Arlington, Massachusetts and Rye, New York moved to year-round bans in March and May 2026, and California has required most new small off-road engines to be zero-emission since January 1, 2024.

Our editorial reading of the cited data, not a forecast. How it is scored

By the numbers

• Jan 1, 2026Start of Portland, Oregon’s phase-out of gas-powered leaf blowersCity of Portland
• $10,000Top fine for a third violation of Rye, New York’s year-round ban, effective May 1, 2026MyRye.com
• Jan 1, 2024Date since which most new small off-road engines sold in California must be zero-emissionThe Toro Company 10-K
• +8.6%Toro residential segment net sales, quarter ended July 31, 2026, led by walk power mowersThe Toro Company

Where gas blowers are being phased out

Portland’s policy started January 1, 2026 and phases in over two years. During that period gas blowers are allowed only in the wet leaf season, October through December, and a full year-round ban follows. Handheld and backpack electric blowers, corded or battery-powered, are the allowed replacements. The city says enforcement is aimed at the property owner rather than the lawn crew, and that it has no program to help individual consumers with the up-front cost of new equipment.

Arlington, Massachusetts took a slower route to the same place. Its 2022 Town Meeting approved a phased plan, seasonal restrictions began in 2023, commercial operators were barred starting in 2025, and a permanent year-round ban on using gas-powered leaf blowers, covering residents too, took effect on March 15, 2026; local news site YourArlington tied the ban to concerns about harmful noise and environmental effects. Electric and battery blowers remain legal, but only from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

Rye, New York replaced its seasonal limits with a year-round ban, adopted in February 2026 and effective May 1, that permits only battery-operated blowers. Fines reach up to $10,000 for a third infraction, and repeat offenders can face court appearance tickets. The law allows unlimited use of other gas yard machines such as lawn mowers and string trimmers, so in Rye, as in Portland and Arlington, the blower is the target.

The 2026 ordinances target blowers and their use, not just their sale.

California already moved the whole category

The broadest rule is statewide in California. The Toro Company’s annual report describes AB 1346 as requiring that most new sales of small off-road engines, including those in leaf blowers and lawn mowers, sold in the state on or after January 1, 2024 be zero-emission, and notes that the California Air Resources Board’s two-phase implementation began with model year 2024 products.

As Toro describes it, that rule works on new sales, so it changes what is on the shelf rather than ordering anyone to retire a working machine. For manufacturers, it means most new small-engine yard equipment sold in California has to be zero-emission. Toro’s filing also lists outdoor noise laws among the regulations it tracks, and noise is one of the concerns behind Arlington’s ban.

Outside California the pressure comes town by town, so the practical question is whether your city or HOA has already moved.

What the equipment makers are reporting

Techtronic Industries, which sells Ryobi-brand cordless tools and outdoor products, is betting on conversion. Its first-half 2026 report describes new 40V 20-inch mowers and 21-inch all-wheel-drive mowers, a 40V brushless 17-inch attachment-capable string trimmer and a line of battery riding mowers, and says products like these enable the conversion of traditional gas-powered equipment. Yet Ryobi’s outdoor sales were roughly flat in the first half, which the company put down to challenging weather across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and parts of the U.S., and the timing of seasonal load-ins.

Husqvarna Group’s results show where growth sits. In the first half of 2026 its Husqvarna Forest & Garden division sold more robotic mowers and handheld products, while sales of wheeled products declined. In its Gardena division, second-quarter sales fell broadly in Europe, including electric products and Gardena-branded robotic mowers.

Toro’s residential business grew in its latest quarter. Residential segment net sales rose 8.6% to $209.3 million in the quarter ended July 31, 2026, driven by higher volume of walk power mowers and net price realization. For the fiscal year to date, though, the segment was up only 2.0%, with higher prices and snow product volume partly offset by lower lawn-care volume.

Makers are adding battery mowers and riders, but 2026 yard-equipment demand is steady, not surging.

Switching under a ban: what to check

The first decision is the battery platform, not the blower. Techtronic describes the Ryobi business as built on three cordless platforms, USB Lithium, 18V ONE+ and 40V, and stresses keeping them compatible so owners can add tools over time. If you already own batteries from one brand, a blower on that same platform avoids paying for a second set of batteries and chargers.

• Form factor: Portland allows both handheld and backpack electric blowers; backpack units suit big fall leaf loads, handheld ones suit decks, patios and driveways.
• Battery size: check the amp-hour rating of the battery included in a kit, since bare tools and kits sell at very different prices.
• Hours: under Arlington’s rules even electric blowers have time windows, so check local noise hours before scheduling yard work.
• Contractors: in Portland the property owner is the enforcement target, so ask your lawn service what equipment it brings.

Who should switch now, and who can wait

Switch now if you live in Portland, Arlington, Rye or any town with a similar ordinance, if your lawn service has already moved to battery, or if you are in California and your gas equipment is near the end of its life. The bans covered here apply to use of the equipment, and in Rye the fines escalate quickly.

Waiting is reasonable if you have a working gas mower and no local blower rule. None of the 2026 ordinances covered here reaches mowers, and the equipment makers’ mixed first-half results point to steady demand rather than a rush to switch. When a gas blower does need replacing, though, we would not buy another one in a town that is debating a ban, because these rules restrict equipment people already own, not only new purchases.

What to watch next

• Portland’s move from its wet-season exception to a year-round ban, and whether other cities copy its property-owner enforcement
• Whether more towns follow Rye in replacing seasonal limits with year-round bans and escalating fines
• Second-half 2026 results from Techtronic, Toro and Husqvarna for signs that battery mower demand is picking up

Where to start

Paid links: we earn a commission if you buy through the buttons below, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

More: Garden and Backyard trends and how the Trend Signal is scored.

Questions readers ask

Are gas leaf blowers banned in 2026?

Not nationally. Several local governments restrict them: Portland, Oregon began a phase-out on January 1, 2026, Arlington, Massachusetts banned their use year-round from March 15, 2026, and Rye, New York made its ban year-round on May 1, 2026, allowing only battery blowers.

Can I still use a gas lawn mower in California?

California’s AB 1346 requires most new small off-road engines sold in the state on or after January 1, 2024 to be zero-emission, as Toro’s annual report describes it. The requirement applies to new sales rather than to equipment you already own.

What are the fines for gas leaf blowers in Rye, New York?

Under the year-round ban that took effect May 1, 2026, fines reach up to $10,000 for a third infraction, and repeat offenders can face court appearance tickets.

Does Portland offer rebates for battery leaf blowers?

No. The city’s FAQ says there are currently no resources to help individual consumers with the up-front cost of replacement equipment.