WASHINGTON — If you hope to sleep in and a neighbor wakes you up by mowing their lawn, you might exit bed in a foul mood. That was the case for one Prince George’s County resident who called the police at 7:19 a.m. Friday, asking them to shut down her neighbor’s early-morning lawn mowing.
“Caller would like us to go out to her neighbor’s and tell them to stop cutting their grass this early in the morning,” a dispatcher told an officer over the police department's radio system.
THE QUESTION
If someone in the greater Washington D.C. area mows their lawn at 7:19 a.m., could that violate local noise ordinances?
THE SOURCES
City of Alexandria, Virginia
Arlington County, Virginia
Fairfax County, Virginia
Loudoun County, Virginia
Prince William County, Virginia
Charles County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Prince George's County, Maryland
Washington D.C.
THE ANSWER
The earliest someone may use a powered lawnmower is 7 a.m., depending on the jurisdiction and the day.
WHAT WE FOUND
We checked the codes of ordinances for the following local governments. They all said 7 a.m. is the earliest lawnmowers are allowed to be used on weekdays.
City of Alexandria, Virginia: 7 a.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. weekends/holidays
Arlington County, Virginia: 7 a.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. weekends/holidays
Fairfax County, Virginia: 7 a.m.
Loudoun County, Virginia: 7 a.m.
Prince William County, Virginia: 7 a.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. weekends/holidays (this ordinance does not distinguish between lawn equipment and other noise sources)
Charles County, Maryland: 7 a.m., (this ordinance does not distinguish between lawn equipment and other noise sources)
Montgomery County, Maryland: 7 a.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. weekends/holidays
Prince George’s County, Maryland: 7 a.m.
Washington D.C.: 7 a.m. (this ordinance does not distinguish between lawn equipment and other noise sources)
Since the call to police in Prince George’s County came in at 7:19 a.m., the mower was within their rights to cut their grass at that time.
The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter, text alerts and our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Learn More »