Florence County, SC Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Florence County's Division 5 airport compatibility rules single out one specific runway type for noise mitigation. Section 30-69 limits its noise restrictions to the approach zone of a precision instrument runway; private airports and every other runway configuration are expressly exempt. Within that precision-approach zone, if a residential dwelling or a building where the public is received is permitted at all, it must be structurally designed and constructed to achieve at least a 30-decibel outdoor-to-indoor peak noise level reduction (NLR). The ordinance itself notes that ordinary construction methods typically deliver about 20 db of reduction, so the practical burden the rule places on a builder is closing the remaining 10-db gap through added sound insulation materials and design choices.

Every other permitted use or structure in the approach zone is exempt from the noise-reduction duty entirely; the requirement runs only to housing and public-facing buildings. Compliance is checked at the permitting stage: § 30-69 requires a description of the specific methods and materials used to reach the NLR to accompany every building application for an affected use, and the building official must approve that description before issuing a building permit. The section traces to Ord. No. 8-4, adopted June 7, 2007, and sits within the broader Airport Compatibility District rules of §§ 30-66 through 30-72, which also restrict structure heights and lighting near runway approach and transitional zones.