Douglas County, CO Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Aircraft noise
- Exempt from county limits (§1-1704A(1))
- Legal basis for exemption
- C.R.S. §25-12-103(4)
- Standard noise limit
- 55 dB(A) day, 50 dB(A) night
- Noise Sensitive Zone
- New residential and schools barred
- Noise Mitigation Zone
- Requires IBC sound insulation
- Safety zones
- Avigation easement required (§1-1907)
- Wildlife-strike rule
- No landfills within 10,000 ft of runways
Summary
Federal law preempts Douglas County from regulating aircraft noise, so Centennial Airport traffic is expressly excluded from the county's decibel limits. Real protection instead comes through the Centennial Airport Review Area Overlay District: noise zones that bar new houses near the runways, mandatory sound insulation, and a recorded avigation easement.
The operation of aircraft or other activities which are subject to federal law with respect to noise control. [§ 25-12-103(4), C.R.S.]
2. The use of property for purposes of conducting speed or endurance events involving motor or other vehicles, but such exception is effective only during the specific period of time within which such use of the property is authorized by the Board of County Commissioners. [§ 25-12-103(7), C.R.S.]
3. The commercial use of property and commercial activity. [§ 25-12-104, C.R.S.]
4. The use of property for a farming or ranching activity. [§ 25-12-104, C.R.S.]
5. The use of property by the state, or any political subdivision of the state, or any of their lessees, licensees, or permittees, for the purpose of promoting, producing, or holding cultural, entertainment, athletic, or patriotic events, including, but not limited to, concerts, music festivals, and fireworks displays. [§ 25-12-103(11), C.R.S.] If such activity requires a separate County approval, this exception is effective only during the specific period of time within which such use of the property is authorized by the Board of County Commissioners.
6. Public utilities regulated pursuant to Title 40, C.R.S. [§ 25-12-103(12), C.R.S.]
7. Oil and gas production subject to the provisions of Article 60 of Title 34, C.R.S. [§ 25-12-104, C.R.S.]
8. The sound made by:
A.
Full Breakdown
and 50 dB(A) overnight in the A-1, LRR, RR, ER, SR, MF, and MH zone districts, measured 25 feet from the lot line under § 1-1705A. § 25-12-103(4): the county has no authority to cite a pilot or Centennial Airport for exceeding those limits. The county's real tool for airport noise is Part 19, the Centennial Airport Review Area Overlay District, which maps Noise Sensitive Zones (NSZ) and Noise Mitigation Zones (NMZ) around the airport under § 1-1906. In the NSZ, residential use and other noise-sensitive uses (K-12 schools, libraries, hospitals, nursing homes, places of worship) are flatly barred per Table 19-1; hotel and motel sleeping rooms that are allowed there must be insulated to the sound-attenuation standard of the International Building Code as adopted by the county.
In the NMZ, residential and other noise-sensitive uses are allowed but must carry the same IBC sound-attenuation construction. Property inside the Runway Safety Zone or Fan Safety Zone must also record an avigation easement under § 1-1907, waiving any claim against the county for aircraft passing overhead, noted on the plat and Site Improvement Plan. Land uses that draw birds, such as sewage lagoons or open reservoirs, are discouraged, and landfills are outright prohibited within 10,000 feet of airport runways under § 1-1908 to reduce wildlife-strike risk.
Violations & Fines
Aircraft noise itself carries no county penalty because § 1-1704A, Subsection 1 exempts it outright, so a noise complaint against a plane cannot be enforced locally. What is enforceable is land-use: building a home or other barred use inside a Noise Sensitive Zone, or skipping the required avigation easement inside a Runway or Fan Safety Zone, is a Part 19 violation that can block Site Improvement Plan or plat approval and the building permit required for any structure in the county.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Douglas County regulate the noise from planes at Centennial Airport?
Can I build a new house near Centennial Airport?
What is an avigation easement and do I have to sign one?
What's the county's general noise limit if aircraft are excluded?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Douglas County
Compare Douglas County to another location·View the Colorado noise ordinances overview
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