Pasco, WA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- PMC 25.190.110
- Trigger
- Plats within height/ASCZ zones
- Enforcement point
- Plat/short plat approval
- Noise cap set
- None; disclosure only
- Adopted
- Ord. 4111 § 2, 2013
Summary
Pasco requires a recorded disclosure statement on plats near the Tri-Cities Airport warning buyers of aircraft noise, vibration and low-altitude overflights. The city does not cap decibel levels; instead PMC 25.190.110 forces sellers and developers to put noise exposure in writing before lots change hands.
The disclosure statement shall be listed on all approved subdivision plats, short plats and binding site plans within any of the identified zones in PMC 25.190.060 or 25.190.090. “Property within this (plat/short plat or binding site plan) may be subject to varying noise levels and vibrations due to proximity to the Tri-Cities Airport. Properties near the airport may be located within height and use restriction zones as described and illustrated by federal standards and regulations and the City of Pasco Zoning Regulations. There is the potential that standard flight patterns will result in aircraft passing over the properties at low altitudes and during all hours of the day. Future airport expansion including runway extensions may impact the size and number of aircraft utilizing the airport. Developments near the airport should assume that at any given time there will be some impact from air traffic.”
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4837, passed May 4, 2026).
Full Breakdown
090) must carry a disclosure statement on its face. The code sets out the exact language required: it tells buyers the property 'may be subject to varying noise levels and vibrations due to proximity to the Tri-Cities Airport,' that 'standard flight patterns will result in aircraft passing over the properties at low altitudes and during all hours of the day,' and that future runway extensions may increase air traffic impacts. 090(1). 547's mandate that cities discourage incompatible land uses next to airports. 100, and applications within 20 feet of a height limitation zone or for structures over 200 feet must also route through the Port of Pasco Administrative Office.
The rule is a notice mandate, not a noise abatement standard: Pasco sets no maximum decibel level for aircraft operations and leaves flight paths and operational noise entirely to FAA and Port of Pasco control, consistent with federal preemption of aircraft operations.
Violations & Fines
Recording a plat, short plat or binding site plan within the mapped disclosure zones without the required statement is a plat approval defect: the City can withhold final plat approval under the PMC 25.190.100 review process until the disclosure language is added to the recorded document. Because the requirement runs through the subdivision approval chain rather than a standalone penalty schedule, developers who omit it face rejection or delay of the plat rather than a fine, and correction requires re-recording the plat with the statement attached.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pasco limit how much noise aircraft can make over homes?
Which properties in Pasco need the aircraft noise disclosure?
What happens if a Pasco developer skips the disclosure statement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco
Compare Pasco to another location·View the Washington noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.