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Harnett County, NC Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Overlay district
Military Corridor Overlay (MCO), § 153.092
District radius
5 miles of installation boundary
Noise source
Pope Army Airfield ICUZ Study
Plat disclosure required
yes, all subdivisions in MCO
Regional review body
Regional Land Use Advisory Council (RLUAC)

Summary

Harnett County's Military Corridor Overlay District regulates land use, not decibels, inside the Pope Army Airfield Aircraft Noise Zones near Fort Bragg. Development within five miles of the installation faces height limits and use restrictions, and subdivision plats must disclose the noise exposure to buyers.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Harnett County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

AIRCRAFT NOISE ZONES. Areas that may be affected by noise associated with current aircraft operations and training, as set forth in the ICUZ Study. Pope Army Airfield Aircraft Noise Zones are depicted on the Official Zoning Map. ... (C) Permitted and special uses. (1) The permitted uses shall be the same as those in the underlying zoning districts. The special uses shall be the same as those in the underlying zoning districts. Reasonable regulations within applicable aircraft noise zones, imaginary surfaces, and active airspace, are limited to the height of man-made structures, incompatible uses of land, and incompatible development activities.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-7: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through 11-18-2024; and State Legislation current through 2024 Legislative Service #2).

Full Breakdown

026 as "areas that may be affected by noise associated with current aircraft operations and training, as set forth in the ICUZ Study," with the Pope Army Airfield Aircraft Noise Zones depicted on the county's Official Zoning Map. 092, which covers all property located fully or partially within five miles of a military installation's jurisdictional boundary. 092(C)(1), permitted and special uses inside the MCO mirror the underlying zoning district, but within the aircraft noise zones, imaginary surfaces, and active airspace, the county layers on "reasonable regulations" limited to the height of man-made structures, incompatible land uses, and incompatible development activities, referencing the Fort Bragg Installation Compatible Use Zone Study dated September 2017.

092(D) requires the Regional Land Use Advisory Council (RLUAC) to notify the military installation of any zoning map or permitted-use change affecting land within five miles, plus any subdivision, site plan, telecommunications tower, windmill, or special use permit application in that same radius, so the installation can comment before final approval. 092(E) then requires every plat for a residential or nonresistential subdivision inside the MCO, including minor and major subdivisions, to carry a written statement disclosing that the lots sit in the district and that homes there may from time to time be subject to potential adverse effects from military operations, including noise. 70 et seq.

Violations & Fines

Developing within an aircraft noise zone or the broader Military Corridor Overlay District without the required notification to the military installation through RLUAC, or recording a subdivision plat without the mandated military-impact disclosure statement, is enforceable by Harnett County Development Services as a UDO compliance failure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Harnett County set a decibel limit for aircraft noise near Fort Bragg?
No. The Military Corridor Overlay District at § 153.092 addresses aircraft noise zones through land-use compatibility, structure height limits, and mandatory disclosure on subdivision plats, not a numeric decibel standard.
What land is covered by Harnett County's Military Corridor Overlay District?
Any property located fully or partially within five miles of the jurisdictional boundary of a military installation, per § 153.092(B), which includes areas within the Pope Army Airfield Aircraft Noise Zones defined at § 153.026.
Do home buyers get told a property sits in an aircraft noise zone?
Yes. Section 153.092(E) requires every subdivision plat inside the Military Corridor Overlay District to include a written statement disclosing the district and warning that homes there may be subject to potential adverse effects of military installation operations.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Harnett County

All Harnett County rules

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