Bexar County, TX Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Airspace over Bexar County is governed exclusively by the Federal Aviation Administration under 49 U.S.C. Section 40103 and 14 CFR Part 91, with additional Department of Defense authority over military operations. Joint Base San Antonio operates three main military airfields: JBSA-Randolph (pilot training, T-6 Texan II and T-38 Talon), JBSA-Lackland (Kelly Field, C-5M Galaxy, security forces), and JBSA-Fort Sam Houston (medical and Army aviation). Civilian flights use San Antonio International Airport (SAT) and Stinson Municipal. Federal preemption means Bexar County may not impose curfews, altitude floors, or route restrictions on any aircraft in flight. The Air Installation Compatible Use Zone (AICUZ) program publishes DNL noise contours around each JBSA installation; property inside a 65 DNL or greater contour has FAA-recognized noise exposure and the installation recommends sound-attenuation construction, but these are advisory for unincorporated county parcels. Complaints about individual military flights go to the 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs office at JBSA; civilian complaints about SAT operations go to the San Antonio Airport System noise office. Helicopter training from Brooke Army Medical Center and frequent T-38 afterburner noise near Randolph are common issues, and the installations typically respond with flight track and mission data rather than enforcement action. Drones (UAS) are governed by FAA 14 CFR Part 107 and require Part 107 authorization or a recreational safety test; Texas Government Code Chapter 423 adds privacy limits on UAS use.