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Durham, NC Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Noise standard: 45 Ldn max interior noise exposure
Certification: Acoustical engineer or INCE board-certified member
Suboverlays: -A65 inside 65 Ldn; -A60 between 60-65 Ldn
Buyer disclosure: Deed or plat notice of aircraft noise required
Easement: Perpetual avigation easement to RDU Airport Authority
Review authority: RDU Airport Authority reviews permits before city decision

Summary

New homes inside Durham's Airport Overlay near Raleigh-Durham International must keep interior aircraft noise at or below 45 Ldn, certified by an acoustical engineer, under the joint City-County Unified Development Ordinance. Buyers must be told about aircraft noise exposure, and developers must grant the RDU Airport Authority a recorded avigation easement before any site plan or plat wins approval.

Residential development within the Airport Overlay shall demonstrate that aircraft noise exposure within the dwellings shall not exceed decibel levels of 45 Ldn and be certified by an acoustical engineer or a board certified member of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering. Measures for reducing noise exposure may include: orientation of structures, design standards, landscaping, or construction materials used in walls, windows, doors, roofs, floors, or ceilings... Residential development within the Airport Overlay shall ensure that purchasers of the dwellings will be notified that the property may be subject to noise exposure from aircraft using Raleigh-Durham Airport. Measures used to notify purchasers may include notices on plats or deeds.

Source: RDU Airport - Aircraft Noise ProgramView official code

Full Breakdown

2). The -A65 suboverlay sits inside the 65 Ldn contour and the -A60 suboverlay between the 60 and 65 Ldn contours. 3). 4). 4). 4). 3).

Violations & Fines

Building a home in the overlay without the required 45 Ldn noise certification, buyer notice, or avigation easement is a UDO violation like any other (§ 15.1.2). The Planning Director can withhold or revoke the building permit or certificate of compliance, issue a $500 civil penalty per citation with an added daily penalty for a continuing violation, and pursue a stop-work order or Superior Court injunction (§§ 15.3, 15.4). Appeals go to the Board of Adjustment within 30 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

What decibel limit applies to new homes near RDU airport in Durham?

Interior aircraft noise exposure in new residential development anywhere in the Airport Overlay cannot exceed 45 Ldn, and a licensed acoustical engineer or a board-certified member of the Institute of Noise Control Engineering must certify compliance before the project moves forward (UDO § 4.8.4).

Do I have to tell buyers about airport noise?

Yes. Developers of residential property in the Airport Overlay must ensure purchasers are notified that the home may be subject to aircraft noise from Raleigh-Durham Airport, typically through a notice placed on the recorded plat or deed (§ 4.8.4).

What is an avigation easement and do I need one?

It's a recorded easement granting the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority a perpetual, unsubordinated right to fly aircraft over your property. Any new development in the -A60 or -A65 overlay must grant one and give the Planning Director a recorded copy before a site plan or plat is approved (§ 4.8.4).

Does this overlay cover the whole city or just areas near the airport?

Only property the Official Zoning Map places inside the -A60 or -A65 boundaries near Raleigh-Durham Airport is covered -- the suboverlays follow the airport's noise contours, not the Durham city limit, so some Airport Overlay parcels sit in unincorporated Durham County under the same joint UDO (§ 4.8.2).

Sources & Official References

[1]Durham Unified Development Ordinance

Other rules in Durham

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All Durham rules

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