Edmonds, WA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Exemption scope
- Aircraft-in-flight sounds, at all times
- Section
- ECC 5.30.100(A)(3)
- Also exempt
- Watercraft sounds
- Chapter
- ECC 5.30 Noise Abatement and Control
Summary
Edmonds' noise control ordinance exempts sounds from aircraft in flight from the city's maximum permissible sound level standards, so airplane and helicopter overflight noise near the waterfront and ferry route is not enforceable as a local noise violation. Federal aviation authority, not the city noise code, governs it.
A. The following sounds are exempt from the provisions of this chapter at all times: ... ... 3. Sounds originating from aircraft in flight, and from watercraft.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
30's noise limits, and subsection (A)(3) places "sounds originating from aircraft in flight, and from watercraft" on that list, alongside emergency vehicle sirens, bells and chimes, safety relief valves, railroad equipment noise, and sanctioned parades or athletic events. 110). Practically, this means a resident near Puget Sound air corridors or seaplane traffic cannot bring an ECC noise complaint over aircraft engine sound, since the ordinance removes that category entirely, mirroring federal preemption of aviation noise regulation. 050(A). Watercraft noise carries the same blanket exemption in the same subsection, relevant given Edmonds' marina and ferry terminal.
140, who investigates written complaints signed by three or more residents of separate residences, but aircraft noise cannot become the basis of such a complaint because subsection (A)(3) removes it from the chapter's coverage before any violation analysis begins.
Violations & Fines
No enforcement path exists: ECC 5.30.100(A) places aircraft-in-flight sounds outside the noise ordinance's reach "at all times," so the noise control administrator has no authority to investigate or cite an aircraft-noise complaint under Chapter 5.30. Complaints about flight operations belong with the FAA or the operating airport, not the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I file a noise complaint against low-flying planes in Edmonds?
Does the aircraft exemption cover helicopters and seaplanes too?
What noise sources near the water are also exempt alongside aircraft?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
Compare Edmonds to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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Aircraft Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle aircraft noise.