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St. Johns County, FL Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

District trigger
65 db noise contour plus 200 feet
Airport
St. Augustine - St. Johns County Airport
Airport elevation
11.00 feet above mean sea level
Horizontal Zone height cap
150 feet without FAA approval
Conical Zone height cap
350 feet at outer edge
Extra review body
Airport Authority (Sec. 3.04.04)

Summary

Unincorporated St. Johns County draws an Airport Overlay District around the St. Augustine-St. Johns County Airport using the FAA-required 65 decibel noise contour map plus a 200-foot buffer beyond it. Growth Management applies extra height limits, land-use conditions and Airport Authority review to any property that falls inside that noise-based boundary.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of St. Johns County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

There are four (4) criteria to be used in establishing the limits of the Airport Overlay District for airports. They are the property map, the most recent version of the airport layout plan (ALP) showing the twenty (20) year future growth projections, airport noise contour map, and the airport airspace surfaces map. The Airport Overlay District shall encompass all property owned by the airport, all property not owned by the airport in the shadow of the future airport property line shown on the ALP, and all property within the shadow of the imaginary line defined as two hundred (200) feet outside the sixty-five (65) db noise level contour identified on the airport noise contour map.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.

Full Breakdown

Sec. 01 states the Airport Overlay District exists to prevent hazards to aircraft and protect people and property near any public-use airport, implementing FAA and Florida Department of Transportation requirements. Sec. 02 sets the boundary using four maps: the airport property map, the 20-year airport layout plan, the airport noise contour map, and the airspace surfaces map; the district reaches all property within 200 feet outside the 65 db noise contour. Sec. C requires the county to maintain a noise contour map showing, at minimum, the 65 db contour for both existing and future airside facilities, coordinated into the county's zoning maps.

Sec. 04 lets existing uses and zoning remain, but any rezoning inside the district must go to the Airport Authority for a recommendation before the Board of County Commissioners acts, and variance or special-use requests get the same added Airport Authority review before Planning and Zoning. Nonconforming uses may continue and receive minor repairs, but major renovation or replacement must meet current district standards. Sec. 00-foot mean sea level elevation without prior FAA and Airport Authority approval; the Conical Zone height limit rises from 150 feet to 350 feet over its 4,000-foot span, gaining one vertical foot per 20 horizontal feet.

Violations & Fines

Property within 2,000 feet of a runway or under a flight pattern needs coordinated height review with the airport and FAA before any permit issues. A structure that exceeds the Primary, Horizontal or Conical Zone limits in Sec. 3.04.05 without that approval does not meet the Land Development Code. Rezonings, variances or special-use approvals processed inside the overlay without the Airport Authority's Sec. 3.04.04 recommendation are incomplete and can be sent back before final Board action.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does St. Johns County regulate land use based on airport noise?
Yes. Sec. 3.04.02 of the Land Development Code draws the Airport Overlay District boundary using the 65 decibel noise contour map required by the FAA, extending it 200 feet beyond that contour line, and applies added zoning and height conditions to everything inside it.
Can I build a tall structure near the St. Augustine airport?
Only within the FAA Part 77 limits in Sec. 3.04.05: no structure may exceed the runway centerline height in the Primary Zone, 150 feet in the Horizontal Zone, or the sliding 150-to-350-foot scale in the Conical Zone, and property within 2,000 feet of a runway needs coordinated FAA and Airport Authority review.
Do existing homes inside the Airport Overlay District have to move or downsize?
No. Sec. 3.04.04 lets existing uses and structures remain and allows minor repairs and normal maintenance, but a major renovation or full replacement must meet the district's current height and use standards.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in St. Johns County

All St. Johns County rules

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