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Lowell, MA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

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

Key Facts

Code Section
Lowell Code Sec. 204-5G (Exemptions)
Local rule
FAA-compliant aircraft exempt from city noise limits
Measurement rule
Aircraft noise excluded from dBA measurements (Sec. 204-3)
Federal preemption
49 U.S.C. Sec. 41713; airspace/operations reserved to the FAA

Summary

Lowell Code Section 204-5G expressly exempts aircraft operated in conformity with federal law and FAA air traffic control from the city's noise prohibitions. Aircraft in-flight noise is federally preempted, so no Lowell-specific decibel limit applies to overflights at the Lowell Executive Airport area.

Any aircraft operated in conformity with, or pursuant to, federal law, federal air regulations, and air traffic control instruction used pursuant to and within the duly adopted federal air regulations; moreover, any aircraft operating under technical difficulties, in any kind of distress, under emergency orders of air traffic control or being operated pursuant to and subsequent to the declaration of an emergency under federal air regulations.

Source: Massport Hanscom Noise ProgramView official code

Full Breakdown

C. Section 41713; City of Burbank v. Lockheed Air Terminal). ' Section 204-3 also instructs that 'aircraft and other transportation noise sources' shall not be considered when taking sound measurements except where they interfere with the primary noise being measured. Practically, complaints about aircraft over Lowell (including the nearby Lowell Executive Airport in Chelmsford) are addressed through the FAA and the airport proprietor rather than through Chapter 204.

Violations & Fines

None under Lowell ordinance - aircraft operated in compliance with FAA regulations are exempt (Section 204-5G). Noise complaints route to the FAA/airport proprietor; airport-proprietor curfews, if any, are enforced by the airport, not the city.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Lowell ticket a noisy airplane overhead?
No. Section 204-5G exempts any aircraft operated in conformity with federal law and FAA air traffic control instructions from the city noise ordinance. Aircraft operational noise is federally preempted.
Where do I report aircraft noise over Lowell?
To the FAA or the airport proprietor (for example, the Lowell Executive Airport noise program), not the City of Lowell, because Chapter 204 does not regulate FAA-compliant flights.

Sources & Official References

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All Lowell rules

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