Franklin County, WA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Flight-operation sounds
- Fully exempt under § 8.24.020(B)
- Non-flight engine testing
- Exempt only 7 a.m.-10 p.m., § 8.24.020(P)
- Outside testing window
- General noise-disturbance rule applies
- Criminal penalty
- Up to 90 days jail and/or $1,000 fine
- Enforcing agency
- Franklin County Sheriff's Office
Summary
Franklin County's noise ordinance exempts aircraft-in-flight and airport flight-operation sounds outright under § 8.24.020(B), but non-flight aircraft engine testing and maintenance is exempt only between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. under § 8.24.020(P). Outside that window, ground testing noise can be treated as a public noise disturbance under § 8.24.010.
The following shall be exempt from the provisions of Section 8.24.010: ... B.Sounds originating from aircraft in flight and sounds that originate at airports which are directly related to flight operations; ... P.Sounds created by aircraft engine testing and maintenance not related to flight operations between the hours of seven a.m. and ten p.m.;
Full Breakdown
24 (Noise Control) treats aircraft noise two different ways depending on what the aircraft is doing. 020(B) fully exempts sounds originating from aircraft in flight and sounds that originate at airports which are directly related to flight operations, so takeoffs, landings and other flight-operation noise at an airport are not subject to the county's noise-disturbance standard at all. m. 010(A), which bans any sound that annoys or disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensitivity when it emanates frequently, repetitively or continuously from property in a residential area.
The distinction matters most for the areas around county-served airstrips in unincorporated Franklin County: normal flight traffic and airport flight operations are never a basis for a noise complaint under this chapter, but late-night or early-morning engine run-ups unrelated to actual flights are not automatically protected. 24 violation.
Violations & Fines
Aircraft engine testing or maintenance noise that falls outside the 7 a.m.-10 p.m. exemption and meets the § 8.24.010 disturbance standard is a misdemeanor under § 8.24.030(A), carrying up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, or it can be charged as a civil infraction under § 8.24.030(B) at $50 per day, heard in Franklin County District Court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is aircraft noise from a local airstrip regulated in unincorporated Franklin County?
Can I run up an aircraft engine for maintenance at any hour?
What happens if engine testing noise happens at 2 a.m.?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin County
Compare Franklin County to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
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