Gas lawn mowers are not illegal to own or use in California, but as of model year 2024 you can no longer buy a new one from a California retailer. The state didn’t outlaw the equipment itself. It set the emission standard for newly manufactured small engines at zero, which means only battery-electric or other zero-emission mowers can be produced for sale here. If you already own a gas mower, you can keep using it. Where you live still matters, because a handful of cities have their own rules that go further than the state’s.
What Changed in 2024
Assembly Bill 1346, signed by Governor Newsom on October 9, 2021, directed the California Air Resources Board to adopt regulations eliminating exhaust and evaporative emissions from new small off-road engines by January 1, 2024, or as soon as CARB determined was feasible.1LegiScan. California Assembly Bill 1346 (Chaptered) CARB approved the implementing regulations in December 2021.
Phase one took effect with model year 2024 engines and covers lawn mowers, leaf blowers, string trimmers, edgers, and chainsaws. Phase two begins with model year 2028, when generators and large pressure washers with engine displacement of 225cc or more must also meet the zero-emission standard.2California Air Resources Board. CARB Approves Updated Regulations Requiring Most New Small Off-Road Engines Be Zero Emission Starting in 2024 Both residential and commercial-grade equipment are covered, so homeowners and professional landscapers face the same purchasing restrictions.
In practice, if you walk into a Home Depot or Lowe’s in California today, the mower aisle will show only electric options for those product categories. Online retailers shipping to California addresses are also bound by the sales restriction.
Can You Still Use the Gas Mower You Already Own?
Yes. There is no statewide ban on operating a gas mower you already have.1LegiScan. California Assembly Bill 1346 (Chaptered) CARB has been clear that the regulation targets production and sale of new engines, not the continued use of equipment already in people’s garages. You can run your existing mower until it quits for good.
Two practical caveats. Parts and fuel-related accessories will get harder to find as retailers shift inventory toward electric. And local ordinances in some cities can restrict when you may use gas equipment regardless of when you bought it. More on that below.
What About Buying Used or Out of State?
The regulation targets newly manufactured engines, not secondhand sales between private individuals. If your neighbor wants to sell you their old gas Toro, no state law currently prohibits that transaction. Businesses that resell used equipment may face more scrutiny, and CARB has broad regulatory authority, so additional restrictions on the secondary market could come later.
Buying new out of state is a grayer area. The rule applies to engines “produced for sale” in California, and federal import rules under 40 CFR Part 1068 restrict bringing noncompliant engines into the country.3eCFR. 40 CFR Part 1068 Subpart D – Imports A California retailer shipping a gas mower to a California address would clearly violate the sales restriction. A resident driving to Nevada, buying a mower, and bringing it home sits in a legal gray zone that hasn’t been directly tested through enforcement.
Cities With Stricter Rules
Several California cities regulate the use of gas-powered landscaping equipment, often through noise ordinances rather than emission rules. Because these are use bans, they can apply to mowers you already own.
More than 20 California cities restrict gas-powered leaf blowers, including Pasadena, Berkeley, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood. South Pasadena banned gas-powered leaf blowers specifically, and that ordinance does not cover lawn mowers, trimmers, or other equipment.4City of South Pasadena. Ban on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers Pasadena bans gas-powered leaf blowers citywide, with escalating fines of $100 for a first citation, $200 for a second, $500 for a third, and $1,000 for a fourth.5City of Pasadena. Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Ban
Most local bans currently focus on leaf blowers rather than mowers. That could expand as the statewide transition continues. Homeowners’ associations can impose their own restrictions, and many public facilities like parks and schools are moving to all-electric landscaping policies. If you live inside a city or an HOA-governed community, check the local rules before firing up gas equipment.
Penalties If You Violate the Rules
Retailers and Manufacturers
CARB enforces the statewide sales restriction. Under California Health and Safety Code Section 43016, violations involving small off-road engines carry a civil penalty of up to $500 per unit at the base statutory amount.6California Legislative Information. California Code, HSC 43016 That figure is adjusted for inflation each year. As of 2025, the inflation-adjusted maximum for SORE certification violations is $632 per unit.7CARB. 2014 – 2024 Minimum and Maximum Penalties CARB can also require a manufacturer or distributor to make a product compliant as a condition of continuing to sell in California.
Homeowners and Landscapers
Local usage bans are enforced by municipal code officers, not CARB. Fine structures vary. Pasadena, for example, starts with a warning before issuing citations that escalate from $100 to $1,000.5City of Pasadena. Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Ban In cities with strict bans, repeated violations can lead to fines of $500 or more. Equipment confiscation is possible in some jurisdictions for persistent offenders, though it is uncommon.
A Few Exemptions Worth Knowing
Federal law prohibits states from regulating new engines used in farm equipment under 175 horsepower, so a gas mower used for genuine agricultural purposes on a farm may fall outside CARB’s reach entirely.8California Air Resources Board. Small Off-Road Engine Regulations – Applicability Fact Sheet Portable generators and large pressure washers at 225cc or more don’t have to meet the zero-emission standard until model year 2028, though they face tighter emission limits in the meantime.2California Air Resources Board. CARB Approves Updated Regulations Requiring Most New Small Off-Road Engines Be Zero Emission Starting in 2024 And again, the biggest practical exemption for most people is simple: equipment you already own.
Rebates for Going Electric
If you decide to switch, financial help can soften the cost. The South Coast Air Quality Management District, covering Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, offers up to $250 toward a cordless electric lawn mower. The rebate scales with purchase price: $150 for mowers costing $250 or less, $200 for mowers priced $251 to $400, and $250 for anything above $400. You have to turn in your old gas mower for permanent destruction to qualify.9AQMD. Residential Lawn and Garden Rebate Program You can receive up to three rebates in total, but each must be for a different equipment category.
CARB lists additional incentive programs throughout the state on its website, and some utilities offer their own rebates. There is no federal tax credit for residential electric lawn mowers. The IRS Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit covers items like heat pumps and insulation but not outdoor power equipment.10Internal Revenue Service. Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit Commercial landscapers may be able to deduct the cost of new electric equipment as a business expense under normal depreciation rules, but no special federal credit targets zero-emission landscaping tools.
A Note on Pending Legal Challenges
California cannot enforce stricter engine emission standards without authorization from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Air Act.11US EPA. Vehicle Emissions California Waivers and Authorizations The EPA signed its decision authorizing CARB’s 2021 small off-road engine amendments on December 19, 2024.12Federal Register. California State Nonroad Engine Pollution Control Standards; Small Off-Road Engines Regulations; Notice of Decision
Industry groups filed petitions for judicial review with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in early 2025, and the court paused the litigation in spring 2025 to allow the current administration time to review the rule. If authorization is ultimately revoked, CARB’s zero-emission standards for small engines could become unenforceable. For now the regulations remain in effect, but the outcome of that litigation could change what retailers in California are allowed to sell.