California\u2019s year-old Green Lawn Care Law bans the sale of new gas-powered lawn care equipment. The legislation, which took effect Jan. 1, 2024, covers gas-powered string trimmers, lawn mowers, leaf blowers manufactured after Dec. 31, 2023.\u00a0<\/p>
Motivated by a pressing need to reduce air pollution in the state with the worst air quality nationwide, Assembly Bill 1346 (AB 1346) raises deep concerns and controversy among lawn owners and landscaping professionals. <\/p>
Here are the most common questions people ask about this law.<\/p>
California\u2019s green lawn care law<\/a> covers all lawn care and gardening equipment manufactured after Dec. 31, 2023, that uses small off-road engines (SOREs) – spark-ignition engines powered by gasoline rated or at below 25 hp (19kW). The list includes:<\/p> The AB 1436 law is implemented in two phases:<\/p> According to CARB, the new SORE regulations<\/a> don\u2019t cover:<\/p> The law took effect in California on January 1, 2024. Shops will still be able to sell products already in their inventory, but they will not be able to sell new gasoline-powered lawn care tools manufactured later than December 31, 2023.<\/p> Yes, at least for a while. The law prohibits new gas-powered lawn care equipment sales but doesn\u2019t affect the secondary resale market. However, since it forbids the sale of new equipment manufactured after Dec. 31, 2023, the sales of used lawn care equipment is expected to drop significantly.<\/p> Yes, you can. The California Green Lawn Care Law applies only to sales and doesn\u2019t limit the use of gas-powered equipment<\/strong> by homeowners or landscaping professionals.<\/p> California ranks high among the most air-polluted states in the U.S. The Green Lawn Care Law addresses the urgent need to improve air quality and protect citizens’ health from dangerous emissions like nitrogen oxides (NOx)<\/a> and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)<\/a>. <\/p> Small off-road engines pollute as much as a light-duty car and are responsible for 5% of the air pollution in the U.S. For example, a SORE-powered lawn mower generates similar smog-forming emissions in a single hour of use as a car traveling 300 miles. Leaf blowers are worse, matching the pollutant emissions of a 1,100-mile car drive. <\/p> CARB (California Air Resources Board)<\/a> estimates that 15,4 million SOREs are currently used in California’s residential and commercial sectors. Reducing this number is expected to lower the emission of cancer-causing volatile organic compounds and lung-damaging particle matter by about 72 tons\/day<\/a>. <\/p> Besides chemical pollution, gas-powered lawn mowers and string trimmers (and especially leaf blowers<\/a>) are also very loud and known to cause hearing damage with prolonged exposure. Heavy-duty models often generate over 85dB (similar to a loud concert).<\/p> California Senate Bill 170 made $27 million available through the CORE program<\/a> to help lawn care and landscaping professionals make the transition to electric equipment easier. <\/p> The program launched in November 2022 and offered point-of-sell discount vouchers<\/strong> ranging from $300 to $1200 per tool. By early October 2023, funds had already been exhausted, and the program was closed.<\/strong><\/p> However, other programs and financial opportunities are still in place<\/strong> to support the acquisition of electric equipment at national, county, and local levels. All you have to do is to find one that applies to your location and needs. Here are a few examples:<\/p> Corded and battery-powered lawn care equipment is typically more expensive than gas-powered for the same level of performance. On the other hand, electric tools have lower maintenance costs and can save money in the long term.<\/p> Not yet. Electric lawn care and landscaping tools are pretty good and getting better, but they still struggle to match the gas-powered performance. They are generally less powerful, battery-powered models have short usage times and require frequent recharge or spare batteries, and overall, they don\u2019t perform as well. While lawn owners might not feel these differences too strongly, the change can significantly decrease productivity for professionals.<\/p> This is a real possibility. Choosing electric equipment over gas-powered options means a higher upfront investment for lawn care companies and professionals. Remember, they can\u2019t compromise power and performance, so they\u2019ll need top-of-the-line pieces to maintain service quality. <\/p> Since most jobs require the freedom of movement battery-powered tools offer, lawn care pros also will need to buy lots of spare batteries to carry around while caring for your lawn. <\/p> In some cases, electric mowers or leaf blowers can do the job slower than gas-powered ones, leading to fewer clients served daily. All these can increase operating costs while reducing productivity and might be visible in the lawn care price list.<\/a><\/p> Manufacturers have plenty of good-quality electric mowers to consider as replacements for gas-powered models. <\/p>
2. Which Gas-Powered Equipment Is Exempt From the New Regulations?<\/h2>
3. When Did the Law Banning Gas-Powered Equipment Take Effect?<\/h2>
4. Will You Still Be Able to Buy a Used Gas-Powered Lawn Mower?<\/h2>
5. Can You Continue Using the Gas-Powered Lawn Mower You Own?<\/h2>
6. Why Did California Ban Gas-Powered Lawn Care Equipment?<\/h2>
7. Will the Golden State Offer Incentives to Purchase Eco-Friendly Lawn Care Equipment?<\/h2>
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<\/li> 8. How Much Does Electric and Battery-Powered Lawn Equipment Cost?<\/h2>
9. Is Electric Equipment as Good as Gas-Powered Models?<\/h2>
10. Will the Legislation Increase Lawn Care and Landscaping Prices?<\/h2>
11. What Are the Best Electric Mowers to Choose This Year?<\/h2>