Caldwell, ID Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Aircraft noise is outside the reach of Caldwell's noise ordinance, both by federal preemption and by an explicit local exemption. Section 07-13-05 (Exceptions) provides that sound created by or resulting from regular business activities in appropriately zoned areas is exempt, and it expressly includes 'regular industrial and flight operations at the Caldwell Executive Airport.' That means routine takeoffs, landings, and flight operations at the city's airport are not treated as a public noise violation under the City Code. Beyond the local exemption, aircraft noise in flight is regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration under federal aviation law, which broadly preempts local attempts to set aircraft noise or operational limits. The City's general public noise rule (Section 07-13-03), with its 11:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m. quiet hours and 150-foot 'plainly audible' standard, is aimed at ground-level sources like voices, machinery, vehicles, and amplifiers—not aircraft. Residents concerned about airport or aircraft noise are generally directed to the airport operator and the FAA rather than to city code enforcement, since the City does not impose curfews or decibel caps on aircraft.