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

Noise from aircraft flying over unincorporated Mendocino County is controlled by federal law, not county ordinance. Under the federal scheme — anchored by the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in City of Burbank v. Lockheed Air Terminal (1973) — the federal government's pervasive regulation of aircraft noise and airspace preempts local curfews, flight-path rules and operational restrictions. Local governments therefore cannot lawfully ban or limit overflights or impose their own in-flight noise limits, and the county's Chapter 8.100 noise ordinance does not reach aircraft in the air. Residents bothered by overflight noise near facilities such as the Little River Airport, the Ukiah Municipal Airport or Round Valley should direct complaints to the Federal Aviation Administration or the relevant airport operator. Local authority is generally limited to ground-based airport noise (for example, stationary engine run-ups or ground equipment) and proprietor-level airport rules, rather than the flights themselves. For drones (small unmanned aircraft), the FAA likewise asserts broad authority over airspace, though some narrow local rules can apply on the ground.