Is It Illegal To Mow Your Lawn Outside of These Hours in Michigan?

While things in Michigan may be cooling down a little this weekend, those hot summer/fall days are far from over. If this season is anything like last year, we'll be mowing our lawns well into November.

Until they develop lawnmowers with built-in silencers, Michigan residents will be forced to groom their yards with one of the noisiest tools in their outdoor arsenal. Your lawnmower is so loud that it likely annoys your neighbor, especially if you start cutting too early in the morning. But can you really get in trouble for cutting too early?

Some states and local municipalities have noise ordinances that restrict certain activities, like mowing the lawn, to specific hours to prevent disturbances. These ordinances typically set quiet hours during early mornings and late evenings.

There are many cities and towns across the U.S. that prohibit the use of lawnmowers and other noisy equipment before 7 or 8 a.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. or later on weekends.

Michigan doesn’t have a specific state law about when you can or can't mow your lawn. However, many local areas have noise rules that limit loud activities like lawn mowing during certain hours. Most places suggest waiting until around 8 or 9 a.m. to start mowing.

It's always a good idea to check with your local city or township to see if there are specific rules in your area.

You could always be a cool and considerate neighbor by waiting until a reasonable time before you fire up that lawnmower. Trust me, there have been many times when I wanted to cut my grass at 8 a.m. but waited until 9:30 or 10. Yeah, that’s being a cool neighbor.