Dublin, CA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential/school interior cap
- 45 dB CNEL, windows closed
- Office/restaurant interior cap
- 50 dB CNEL, windows closed
- Governing plan
- Livermore Municipal Airport ALUCP, Aug. 2012
- Reviewing body
- Alameda County Airport Land Use Commission
- Enacted
- Ordinance 19-14, September 2014
- First-offense fine
- Up to $100, Sec. 8.144.070
Summary
Dublin Municipal Code Chapter 8.35 creates an Airport Overlay Zoning District around the Livermore Municipal Airport's Airport Influence Area and caps aircraft-related interior noise at 45 dB CNEL for homes, hotels, hospitals, schools and places of worship, and 50 dB CNEL for offices and restaurants, implementing the Alameda County Airport Land Use Commission's compatibility plan.
A. Airport Related Noise. Noise compatibility standards are intended to prevent the establishment of noise-sensitive land uses in portions of the airport environ that are exposed to significant levels of aircraft noise. Where permitted within the Airport Influence Area (AIA), the following noise-sensitive land uses shall comply with applicable noise exposure criteria. 1. Interior Noise Levels Not to Exceed 45 dB CNEL. For the following noise-sensitive land uses, aircraft-related, interior noise levels shall not exceed 45 dB CNEL (with windows closed): a. Living or sleeping areas of single or multi-family residences; b. Hotels and motels; c. Hospitals and nursing homes; d. Place of Worship, meeting halls, and mortuaries; and e. Schools, libraries and museums.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2-26, passed March 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
35, adopted by Ordinance 19-14 in September 2014, implements the Livermore Municipal Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP), adopted by the Alameda County Airport Land Use Commission under Public Utilities Code Section 21670 et seq. 030 applies the overlay to every parcel within the Airport Influence Area shown on the City's zoning map, stacked on top of each property's underlying Planned Development zoning. A sets the operative noise standard: aircraft-related interior noise, measured with windows closed, may not exceed 45 dB CNEL in living or sleeping areas of single- and multi-family residences, hotels and motels, hospitals and nursing homes, places of worship, meeting halls and mortuaries, and schools, libraries and museums.
Office environments, eating and drinking establishments and other miscellaneous commercial facilities get a looser 50 dB CNEL interior cap. c. 020 unless a change would increase their nonconformity or intensity.
Violations & Fines
Approving or building a noise-sensitive use in the Airport Influence Area that does not meet the 45 or 50 dB CNEL interior standard violates Chapter 8.35 and Title 8's general enforcement provisions. Under Dublin Municipal Code Section 8.144.060, a violation is an infraction punishable by up to a $100 fine for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third within a year, with a fourth chargeable as a misdemeanor; the Community Development Director may also refer noise-related zoning amendments to the Alameda County Airport Land Use Commission.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can aircraft noise be inside a Dublin home near the airport overlay?
Which airport does Dublin's airport overlay zone relate to?
Do offices and restaurants get the same noise standard as homes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dublin
California rules heatmap·Compare Dublin to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Aircraft Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle aircraft noise.