Amador County, CA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Aircraft noise is not addressed by Amador County's code, and federal law largely prevents the county from regulating it. Under the federal Aviation Act and the Noise Control Act, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) controls aircraft operations, flight paths, and noise standards in navigable airspace. The U.S. Supreme Court confirmed in City of Burbank v. Lockheed Air Terminal that this federal scheme preempts local attempts to control aircraft noise, so a county cannot impose curfews, flight-frequency limits, or aircraft-type restrictions on overflights. As a result, complaints about aircraft, helicopter, or overflight noise over communities like Pioneer, Volcano, or Kirkwood are handled through the FAA, not the Amador County Sheriff or Planning Department. The county's public nuisance noise ordinance (Chapter 9.44) is directed at ground-based noise from residential uses, short-term rentals, wineries, tasting rooms, and event locations, and does not reach aircraft in flight. Limited local authority does remain over ground-based airport activities (for example, an airport proprietor managing its own facility), and a local airport operator can pursue voluntary FAA Part 150 noise-compatibility programs, but these are exceptions that do not give the county general power over aircraft noise. Residents bothered by aircraft noise should file complaints through the FAA's noise complaint process.