Dublin, CA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Aircraft operations and in-flight noise are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, so Dublin cannot set its own enforceable limits on aircraft noise. Instead, the City addresses airport noise through land-use compatibility planning in its General Plan Noise Element. The Noise Element notes that southern portions of the Eastern Extended Planning Area, east of Tassajara Road, fall within the Livermore Municipal Airport's Airport Influence Area (AIA). Policy 9.3.1.A.1 requires that all proposed land uses within the AIA be reviewed for consistency with airport noise-compatibility policies, and implementing Policy 9.3.1.B.1 calls for an Airport Overlay Zoning District ensuring development within the AIA complies with the Livermore Municipal Airport Land Use Compatibility Plan (ALUCP). In practice, this means projects near the airport influence area, especially noise-sensitive uses like housing, schools, and hospitals, must demonstrate acceptable interior and exterior noise levels and may need sound insulation, avigation easements, or design changes before approval. For residences, the Noise Element also reflects the state requirement of a 45 dB CNEL interior standard in habitable rooms for multi-family housing. Most of central and western Dublin lies outside the airport influence area and is more affected by freeway and roadway noise than aircraft. Residents experiencing aircraft noise generally direct concerns to the Livermore Municipal Airport or the FAA rather than to Dublin code enforcement, since the City's role is land-use compatibility, not flight operations.