Chesterfield County does not regulate aircraft noise. Aircraft operations and noise are governed by the Federal Aviation Administration under federal law, which preempts local noise ordinances; the county's Sec. 14-27 standards do not apply to aircraft in flight.
Aircraft noise is not addressed in the Chesterfield County noise ordinance. Under the Federal Aviation Act and long-standing court decisions, the FAA has exclusive control over aircraft in navigable airspace, so flight paths, altitude and in-flight noise are federal matters that local ordinances cannot override. Residents near the Chesterfield County Airport (a general-aviation field in Chester) or under approach paths to Richmond International Airport should direct persistent noise concerns to the airport operator or the FAA's noise complaint process rather than county police. Ground activities at fixed facilities may still fall under the county's general plainly-audible standard, but aircraft in flight are outside county jurisdiction.
No county penalty applies to aircraft noise; enforcement of aviation noise rules rests with the FAA and airport operators.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Chesterfield County, VA
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