Pasco County, FL Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempted sources
- Aircraft, railways, shipping lanes
- Governing exception
- Code § 66-95(3)
- Decibel cap on exempt noise
- None
- Time restriction
- None; applies at any hour
- Original enactment
- Ord. No. 74-10 (1974)
Summary
Pasco County's noise ordinance carves aircraft out entirely: Code § 66-95(3) lists 'ordinary noise created by the operation of railways, shipping lanes and aircraft' as a permitted exception to every limit in Chapter 66, so flyover or airport noise can't be cited under the county's noise code.
Under this article, the following shall be permitted: The operation of warning or emergency signal devices such as sirens, horns and bells when utilized for their intended purposes. Noises resulting from equipment or operations incidental to the emergency repair of facilities or restoration of services such as public utilities or other emergency activities in the public interest. Ordinary noise created by the operation of railways, shipping lanes and aircraft.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 94 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Division 2 of Chapter 66 opens with an unlawful-acts clause, Sec. 66-93, making it 'unlawful, except as expressly permitted in this article, to make, cause or allow the making of any noise or sound within the boundaries of the county which exceed the limits set forth in this article,' and Sec. ' Sec. ' Unlike the specific caps Sec. 66-97 sets for construction equipment (55 dBA overnight), air conditioners (60 dBA at any time), and ordinary residential noise (55 dBA overnight), the aircraft exception carries no decibel ceiling and no time-of-day restriction at all.
That means a resident living near a flight path or county airport cannot use Chapter 66 to bring a noise complaint against aircraft operations; the exemption covers any 'ordinary' aircraft noise, without regard to which facility it comes from. It also doesn't require an application: unlike the waiver process in Sec. 66-96, which lets the county administrator grant relief from noise limits case by case for other sources, the aircraft exemption is automatic. The exemption traces to the article's original 1974 enactment, Ord. No. 74-10, and hasn't been narrowed since.
Violations & Fines
There's nothing to enforce: aircraft noise sits outside Chapter 66's prohibitions entirely, so code compliance officers and the Pasco Sheriff's Office have no basis to cite it under Sec. 66-93. A noise complaint tied to aircraft would have to go through the FAA or an airport's own procedures rather than county code enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I file a noise complaint against aircraft flying over my Pasco County home?
Does the aircraft exemption have any decibel limit?
Does the exemption only apply near an airport?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pasco County to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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