NJ Democrats just resurrected the statewide gas leaf blower ban — again

The word resurrection gets used a lot this time of year. And New Jersey Democrats just applied it to a bill that a lot of people thought was dead.

S623, a statewide ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, was quietly reintroduced in Trenton on January 13th of this year. If that sounds familiar, it should. The same bill moved through committee in 2024 as S217, died when the legislative session ended without a vote, and is now back for the 2026-2027 session. Same idea, new number, another run at it.

We have been covering this issue closely — from the towns that have already moved on their own, like Maplewood, Montclair, Princeton and West Orange, to the packed council meeting in Madison where landscapers and residents went head to head in March. Now the fight moves from local council chambers to the statehouse, and the stakes just got a lot bigger.

What S623 actually does — and when

The bill has a phased timeline that is worth understanding clearly.

Two years after the bill becomes law, the sale of two-stroke gas-powered leaf blowers would be prohibited statewide. Four years after enactment, the use of two-stroke blowers would be banned entirely, and four-stroke models would be prohibited in all residential areas of New Jersey. Four-stroke blowers could still be used in non-residential areas, but only during two seasonal windows: March 15 through May 15, and October 15 through December 15.

To soften the financial blow for businesses, the bill offers a tax credit covering up to 50% of the purchase cost of electric replacements, including batteries and charging equipment. That credit would be available for six years.

The bill was referred to the Senate Environment and Energy Committee. It is sponsored by Senator Bob Smith, a Democrat from Piscataway who has been pushing versions of this legislation for several years.

READ ALSO: NJ bans: leaf blowers, loud cars and fire pits explained 

My own backyard experiment

I will be transparent here. One of my genuine hobbies is yard work. I do it myself and I enjoy it. My gas-powered backpack blower has served me well for years. I usually wait until 10 a.m. before firing it up out of respect for the neighbors. What I do not love is how stubborn it can be to start, and my wife has made her feelings about the fumes and the smell very clear on multiple occasions.

So we bought a battery-powered electric blower with a long-lasting charge and a backup battery. I now reach for one or the other depending on the size of the job. Not because of any ban or any rule but because for quick cleanups the electric one is genuinely easier. If you shop around you can absolutely find an electric blower that matches your needs.

That said, I made that choice myself. There is a meaningful difference between a homeowner choosing electric because it works for them and the state of New Jersey telling every landscaping business in the state they have four years to replace their entire fleet or face consequences.

What this means for New Jersey's small businesses

We heard directly from landscapers in Madison earlier this month. Their concern was about survival. Replacing a full commercial operation with battery-powered equipment costs tens of thousands of dollars. The state offering a 50% tax credit helps but it does not solve the problem entirely, especially for smaller operations running on tight margins in a state that already makes it difficult to run a small business profitably.

The bill is in committee. It may not become law this session either. But it came back once and it will keep coming back. New Jersey's gas-powered leaf blower is living on borrowed time.