Leaf season is here. So is New Jersey’s growing list of bans.

The first leaves are coming down in my yard, which means it's almost time to fire up my favorite machine.

My gas-powered leaf blower makes me feel like the undisputed Lawn King. I pull the cord, it roars to life, and I'm competing in a monster truck rally in my own backyard.

In my head, I'm wearing one of those jet packs from Jonny Quest.

New Jersey would like a word.

Back in June, I put together a list of everything this state has banned, restricted or is circling. Leaf season felt like the right time to check back. Some things moved. Some didn't budge at all.

That turned out to be the story.

Gas leaf blowers: towns act, Trenton waits

In Maplewood, gas-powered leaf blowers have been banned everywhere, at any time, since Jan. 1, 2023. That includes homeowners, not just landscapers.

Montclair has restricted them since 1994, according to a Patch report.

The statewide version, S623 from Sen. Bob Smith (D-17th District), hasn't moved since it was introduced on Jan. 13. It's been sitting in the Senate Environment and Energy Committee ever since.

If it ever passes, here's what it would do:

• Two years in: No more sales of two-stroke gas blowers in New Jersey
• Four years in: No two-stroke gas blowers anywhere, and no four-stroke gas blowers in residential areas
• Four-stroke blowers in non-residential areas: Only March 15 to May 15 and Oct. 15 to Dec. 15
• Landscapers: A warning, then $500 to $1,000 per offense
• Homeowners: A warning, then $25

So this fall, the Lawn King keeps his crown. Probably next fall, too.

Your lawn mower: filed twice, died twice

A bill to ban the sale and use of all gas-powered lawn equipment was filed in 2022 as A3906. It died in committee.

It came back in 2024 as A1851. It died in committee again.

I couldn't find a version filed in the current session. Yet.

Bills that die in Trenton have a habit of coming back with a new number. S623 itself is a comeback of a bill that expired last session.

Fire pits and leaf burning

Your backyard fire pit is still legal. The rules are tighter than most people realize.

Under the state fire code, a recreational fire can be no more than 3 feet across and 2 feet high. It has to be at least 25 feet from any structure or anything that can burn.

A fire in an approved container can sit 15 feet from a structure. And a fire official can order any fire put out.

If you're thinking about burning your leaves instead of blowing them, don't. The state prohibits disposing of fallen leaves by open burning.

SEE ALSO: NJ fall cleanup season is here. My shed is about to feel it.

The self-proclaimed Lawn King and his gas-powered fleet, ready for leaf season | photo by EJ

Data centers: the ban spreading fastest

This one wasn't even on my June list.

Towns across New Jersey have been voting to keep data centers out, citing the power and water they demand. Ninety-three have done it, according to climate activists tracking the bans, as reported by Gothamist.

The same report says Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) is resisting calls for a statewide moratorium.

I've been counting, too. When I wrote about Jackson on Sept. 9, it was the 38th town to ban them. The trackers count differently, but nobody disputes which way this is heading.

E-bikes

Union County banned e-bikes and motorized scooters from county parks in October 2025, nj.com reported.

Passaic County followed with a ban on county park property that took effect July 19. Fines start at $50 and can reach $200, according to a NorthJersey.com report.

Statewide, e-bikes now have to be registered with the MVC. Some riders need insurance, too, New Jersey Monitor reported.

Boom cars and loud mufflers

The boom car law signed in 2023 has teeth. If your music can be heard 50 feet away, a first offense costs $250 to $500.

By the third offense, it's $750 to $1,000 plus two points on your license, according to New Jersey Monitor. (S3131)

Mufflers are another story. Right now, the fine for an illegally modified exhaust is $25.

A1092, from Assemblyman Robert Clifton (R-12th District), would raise that to as much as $500 or 30 days in jail. It's been sitting in the Assembly Transportation Committee since Jan. 13.

Plastic bags, foam and straws

My parents worked in the plastics industry. In our house, a plastic bag was never just a plastic bag.

It was a bread bag, a trash bag, a glove compartment bag, a spare bag stuffed inside another bag, just in case. It was even a leaf bag! We did not have the luxury of a blower growing up.

Since May 4, 2022, New Jersey stores can't hand out single-use plastic bags. Grocery stores of 2,500 square feet or more can't hand out paper ones either.

Foam takeout containers are gone. Straws aren't banned, but restaurants can only give you one if you ask.

My parents would never have understood any of it.

Check back

More than eight months into this session, the statewide bills on this list haven't moved an inch. The towns haven't waited.

This list is not finished. It is never finished. Check back.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 show host Eric Johnson only.