Can Your Snow Blower Really Get You A Ticket in Iowa?

It's that time of the year when we're starting to see snowfall on a more regular basis in eastern Iowa. Just yesterday we had a dusting of snow at my house. Some people love the snow and enjoy all of the fun activities you can do when we start seeing flakes. People love to snowmobile, snowboard, and sled in the Midwest and the winter is some people's favorite time of the year.

Then there's the other side of the coin and people who hate it. There are a lot of people who would be extremely happy if it only snowed once a year on Christmas day.

It can be nerve-wracking to drive in, it tracks into your house, and it can be a pain in the you know what to clean. Whether you shovel or snow blow your driveway, they both take time and energy to do.  If you're someone who uses a snowblower instead of a shovel, you might want to make sure you're using your noisy snow blower at the correct time of the day.

Noise Ordinance

If you get up early in the morning and want to try and clean your driveway, in some cities in the state of Iowa, you'll have to wait until after 7 a.m. According to KCRG, in Cedar Rapids, any noise at 50 decibels can be considered a nuisance in a residential area from 10 pm to 7 am.

In Ames, the maximum noise level is 60 decibels for the hours of midnight to 7 a.m. and the sound is measured at the end of a city street or alley right-of-way- nearest to the source of the sound. Measurement may also be taken on the property where the complaining party was disturbed, according to the City of Ames.

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If it snows extremely hard and you're having trouble getting your car out of your driveway, you might have to use a shovel as opposed to your snowblower. While you could potentially get a ticket for snow blowing too early or too late, police officers do like to give people a break if there is a snow emergency.

Police spoke to KCRG about this in 2019 and said

Because it is a snow emergency and people are using them to get out to go to work or leave their homes for appointments, it won't be something police will actively enforce unless there is a blatant neighborhood issue.

Cities' decibel levels and noise ordinance laws can differ so you'll want to look up your city's noise regulations if you're ever worried about using your snow blower too early or too late.

I know it will never happen but I'd be perfectly fine if we don't see any big measurable snow this winter. Shoveling might be my least favorite chore of all time.