Fort Worth, TX Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Weekday run-up hours
- 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Mon-Sat
- Sunday run-up hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Maximum fine
- $500 per violation
- Enforcing office
- Aviation Director / designee
- Governing ordinance
- Ord. 22838-08-2017, § 2 (8-15-2017)
Summary
Fort Worth caps when aircraft engine run-ups can happen at its airports: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Running an engine outside those hours, or off a designated run-up spot, is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine.
(a) Noise abatement. All persons operating an aircraft will at all times adhere to any and all noise abatement procedures in effect at the airports, except in the case of an emergency. (b) Engine run-ups. (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to conduct an aircraft engine run-up at any airport except at the times set forth in the following schedule: Sundays 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Mondays 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Tuesdays 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Wednesdays 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Thursdays 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Fridays 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Saturdays 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ... (3) A violation of this subsection (b) shall constitute a misdemeanor criminal offense punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.
Full Breakdown
City Code § 3-123 governs aircraft noise at Fort Worth's city-owned airports (Meacham International and Spinks). Subsection (a) requires every person operating an aircraft to adhere to whatever noise abatement procedures are in effect at the airports at all times, except during an emergency. m. on Sunday, the one day given a two-hour-later start. Run-ups may only happen at locations the Aviation Director designates for that purpose, and the person running the engine has to keep other people, hangars, shops, other buildings and parked vehicles out of the path of a propeller or jet blast.
The ordinance traces to Ord. 22838-08-2017, § 2, adopted August 15, 2017, and sits in Chapter 3 (Airports and Aircraft) alongside separate sections on aircraft movement, taxiing and impoundment liens, none of which govern noise. Because this is a city-owned-airport rule enforced by Aviation Department staff and the airport director's designee, it applies to activity on airport property, not to general overflight noise from aircraft using D/FW or private strips elsewhere in the city, which falls under FAA jurisdiction rather than this section.
Violations & Fines
A run-up outside the scheduled hours, or away from a director-designated run-up location, is a criminal misdemeanor under subsection (b)(3), punishable by a fine of up to $500. The Aviation Director or a designee enforces the section on airport grounds and can also prohibit any takeoff or landing, run-up included, whenever it looks likely to endanger persons or property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run up an aircraft engine at a Fort Worth airport before 6 a.m.?
Where can I legally do an engine run-up in Fort Worth?
What happens if I violate the run-up schedule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Worth
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