Flint, MI Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Exemption
- Aircraft and trains exempted
- Section
- § 31-77(e)
- Ordinance
- Noise Control Ordinance, Ch. 31
- Effect
- No local decibel limit applies
Summary
The City of Flint's Noise Control Ordinance exempts aircraft and trains, including helicopters, from its noise disturbance and decibel limits entirely, so helicopter noise is not otherwise regulated by city ordinance.
The provisions of this article shall not apply to the following: ... (e) Aircraft and trains.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2016 Code: Local legislation current through Ordinance 3821, passed 3-1-2012).
Full Breakdown
Flint's Noise Control Ordinance, Chapter 31 Article II, sets maximum sound levels for perpetual, continuous, intermittent and impulsive noise across the city, but Section 31-77 lists exemptions to the entire article, and subsection (e) exempts aircraft and trains outright, with no decibel cap and no permit process required. Helicopters fall under the aircraft exemption. A noisy or low-flying helicopter over Flint is a matter for FAA airspace and noise rules, not city code, because the municipal ordinance carves the category out rather than setting any local limit on it.
Violations & Fines
None applies. Aircraft and trains, including helicopters, are exempted from Chapter 31 Article II entirely, so the noise-ordinance penalties in Section 31-78 don't reach them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Flint regulate helicopter noise?
Who regulates helicopter noise if not the city?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Flint
Compare Flint to another location·View the Michigan noise ordinances overview
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