Inglewood, CA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Overflight noise limit
- 90 dB(A) within the City
- Federal exemption
- aircraft under FAA/ATC rules exempt
- Ground jet-engine testing limit
- 50 dB(A), 10 p.m.-7 a.m. (§ 5-47)
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 5-46
- Penalty
- misdemeanor, public nuisance (§ 5-49)
- Adopted
- Ord. 88-29, September 13, 1988
Summary
Inglewood bars operating any aircraft over the city that produces noise above 90 dB(A), with a federal-law exemption for aircraft flying under FAA regulations and air traffic control. Section 5-46 works alongside Section 5-47's nighttime cap on jet-engine ground testing near LAX-adjacent operations. A violation is a misdemeanor under Section 5-49.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or cause to be operated any type of aircraft over the City which produces noise levels exceeding ninety dB(A) within the City, except that any aircraft operated in conformity with, or pursuant to, Federal law, Federal air regulations, and air traffic control instruction used pursuant to and within duly adopted Federal air regulations shall be exempt from the provisions of this Section as well as the other regulations of this Article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4954608; v8 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
' Because the FAA controls aircraft in flight, that exemption effectively removes most commercial and general-aviation overflight noise, including traffic bound for LAX, from local enforcement; Section 5-46 realistically reaches non-federally-regulated aircraft operations, such as unauthorized low-altitude flights outside approved air corridors. , except for jet engines operating during an actual landing, takeoff, or ground movement at an airport. Read together, the two sections show the City regulating what it can, testing and non-federally-authorized flight noise, while yielding to federal preemption over the airspace itself, a structure that matters for a city bordering LAX where aircraft noise complaints are common but most flight paths are federally controlled.
Violations & Fines
Violating either Section 5-46 or Section 5-47 is a misdemeanor and a declared public nuisance under Section 5-49, enforceable by criminal citation or by a court-ordered injunction or restraining order against continued violations; each day of unauthorized noise is a separate offense. Because FAA rules preempt most in-flight aircraft noise, City enforcement in practice concentrates on ground-based jet-engine testing and non-federally-sanctioned flight activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Inglewood cite an airline for noisy flights over the city?
What does the jet-engine testing rule cover?
Is there any local recourse for aircraft noise complaints in Inglewood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Inglewood
California rules heatmap·Compare Inglewood to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Aircraft Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle aircraft noise.