Stafford County, VA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Nighttime ban
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. weekdays
- Weekend/holiday nighttime
- 10:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.
- County property rule
- Parks & Recreation permission required, any time
- Offense class
- Class 2 misdemeanor
- Maximum penalty
- $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail
- Enforcing agency
- Stafford County Sheriff's Office
Summary
Stafford County bans operating powered model aircraft outdoors at night under County Code Sec. 16-6(a)(4). Anyone who wants to fly one in a county park or facility at any hour must first get permission from the department of parks and recreation.
(4)Operating or permitting to be operated any powered model aircraft in the outdoors during the nighttime. Any person desiring to use county parks or facilities to operate such aircraft at any time must first obtain permission from the department of parks and recreation.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 16-6(a)(4) makes it a violation to operate or permit to be operated any powered model aircraft in the outdoors during the nighttime, with nighttime defined in Sec. on weekends and county-observed holidays. The same subsection adds a separate, time-independent permission requirement for county property: anyone who wants to fly powered model aircraft on county parks or facilities at any time, day or night, must first obtain permission from the department of parks and recreation, meaning private land is only restricted by the nighttime clause while county-owned land requires advance clearance regardless of the hour.
The ordinance addresses only powered model aircraft operated by hobbyists; it does not reach full-scale aviation noise from Marine Corps Base Quantico or commercial air traffic, which fall under federal and military airspace authority rather than county ordinance. Sec. 16-2 sets the general penalty for an unspecified chapter 16 violation, including this one, at a class 2 misdemeanor, and the Sheriff's Office is the enforcing agency for noise-chapter complaints countywide.
Violations & Fines
Operating a powered model aircraft outdoors at night, or on county parks or facilities without parks and recreation department permission, violates Sec. 16-6(a)(4) and is a class 2 misdemeanor under Sec. 16-2, punishable under Sec. 1-11(a)(2) by a fine of up to $1,000.00, up to six months in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fly a drone or model aircraft at night in Stafford County?
Do I need a permit to fly a model aircraft in a county park?
Does this ordinance cover jet noise from Marine Corps Base Quantico?
What is the penalty for violating the model aircraft noise rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stafford County
Compare Stafford County to another location·View the Virginia noise ordinances overview
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