North Dakota Residents Warned Against Blowing Leaves Into the Street

Leaves are starting to fall from the trees and are filling our yards. Seeing all the fall colors in your yard is a pretty beautiful sight. Seeing those fall colors all over your yard is nice for the first week or two, but the leaves quickly go from being a beauty to a beast. Leaves can be quite the nuisance: they damage your grass and get tracked into your home. Before you whip out your leaf blower, you should read this.

Things you Shouldn't Do With Your Leaves

Blowing them into your neighbor's yard or the street may be awfully tempting, because, hey, less work, but it's definitely something you shouldn't do. You also can't blow them in the street; it's illegal.

According to the City of Mandan , this violates nuisance and property maintenance codes in most North Dakota cities.

(Also Read: City of Bismarck Offering Free Leaf Collection Service This Month)

Why This Not Allowed?

It's considered a traffic hazard. Leaves can cover the road lines, making it hard to see them and turn lanes. Not only that, but cities like Grand Forks and Bismarck also have ordinances against blowing leaves onto the roads because they can disrupt stormwater drainage and clog storm drains.

Here's an option: Bismarck just announced its 2026 free leaf collection dates. You can get your leaves hauled away October 19-22 and October 26-29. For more information on this, click here.