Inyo County, CA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Aircraft noise is the one noise area squarely outside local control. Under the Supremacy Clause and federal aviation law, the FAA has preempted airspace management, air traffic control, and aircraft operations, so neither Inyo County nor any California county may set in-flight aircraft noise limits or flight restrictions. California regulates airport noise at the state level: the State Aeronautics Act (Public Utilities Code section 21001 and following) and California Code of Regulations Title 21 establish noise standards governing aircraft operations at airports operating under a state permit, administered by Caltrans Division of Aeronautics. These Title 21 rules do not supersede FAA regulations. Inyo County's practical authority is twofold: as the proprietor of county airports it can adopt operational rules (and, in limited circumstances recognized by the courts, proprietor-based noise measures), and through land-use planning it manages compatible development around airports such as Bishop, Lone Pine and Independence using Airport Land Use Compatibility planning and the General Plan Noise Element. For complaints about specific overflights or military operations (Inyo County has significant military training airspace), the appropriate channel is the FAA or the operating agency, not county code enforcement.