Lake County, CA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Lake County does not regulate aircraft noise directly. Aircraft operations and in-flight noise are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and local governments are broadly preempted from regulating the noise of aircraft in flight. The County Zoning Code recognizes this: Section 41.11(e)(7) of the Performance Standards exempts 'aircraft when subject to federal or state regulations' from the local noise standards (and Section 41.15 exempts aircraft from the vibration standard). What counties can do is manage land use around airports. Under the California State Aeronautics Act and the California Airport Land Use Planning Handbook published by the Caltrans Division of Aeronautics, an Airport Land Use Commission (ALUC) reviews compatibility of proposed development near public-use airports, including limiting noise-sensitive development in airport noise contours; a local agency can override an ALUC determination only by a two-thirds vote. Lawrence M. Lawson Field (Lampson Field) near Lakeport is the County's general-aviation airport subject to this framework. For an aircraft-noise complaint, residents are directed to the airport operator or the FAA rather than County Code Enforcement, because the County cannot enforce a noise limit against an aircraft in flight.