Ogden, UT Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Exempted from
- All of Chapter 14's noise standards
- Condition
- Aircraft must conform to state/federal law
- Also exempt
- Aircraft in distress or FAA emergency status
- Enforcement
- No local citation; FAA rules apply instead
Summary
Ogden's noise ordinance doesn't cap aircraft sound. Section 12-14-7(F) exempts any aircraft operated in conformity with state statute, federal law, or federal air traffic control regulations from the entire Chapter 14 noise code, including planes in distress or operating under an emergency declaration.
F. Any aircraft or railroad equipment operated in conformity with, or pursuant to, state statute, federal law or federal regulations, and traffic control instruction used pursuant to and within the duly adopted state or federal regulations. 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 shall also be exempt.
Full Breakdown
Ogden City Code Chapter 14 sets its own restrictions on sound amplification, construction equipment, motor vehicles, and more, but Section 12-14-7 lists activities the whole chapter simply does not reach, and aircraft is one of them. " In practice, that means the numeric decibel ceilings in Section 12-14-5, the sound amplification restrictions in Section 12-14-6, and the enforcement and misdemeanor provisions in Section 12-14-10 have no application to aircraft flying in or out of Ogden-Hinckley Airport or over the city under normal FAA operation. The city's own Chapter 8 governs the airport separately, but for noise purposes, the exemption in Section 12-14-7(F) means residents near flight paths have no local Chapter 14 remedy for aircraft sound; federal aviation noise standards, not the city's noise chapter, govern that activity.
The exemption applies only to aircraft operated in conformity with state or federal law, so it does not reach an aircraft operated outside its permitted regulations.
Violations & Fines
There is no Ogden citation for aircraft noise operated in conformity with state or federal law: Section 12-14-7(F) removes it entirely from Chapter 14, so neither the Section 12-14-5 decibel limits nor the Section 12-14-10 misdemeanor and nuisance-abatement provisions apply. A resident's recourse for aircraft noise runs to the FAA and federal aviation regulations, not an Ogden police citation, unless the aircraft is being operated unlawfully or outside its permitted regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I file an Ogden noise complaint about airport traffic?
Does Ogden's aircraft noise exemption cover planes in an emergency?
Who regulates aircraft noise if not the city of Ogden?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ogden
Compare Ogden to another location·View the Utah noise ordinances overview
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