Rio Rancho, NM Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Rio Rancho's noise ordinance does not apply to aircraft. Per the city, the Section 131.06 decibel limits expressly exempt aircraft and airports. This mirrors the broader legal reality that aircraft-in-flight noise is comprehensively regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration under the federal Noise Control Act and FAA regulations; local governments are largely preempted from setting in-flight noise limits or flight restrictions. In New Mexico, state-level aviation authority sits with the Aviation Division of the Department of Transportation under NMSA 1978 Chapter 64 (Aeronautics), and any municipal authority over airport operation must be expressly delegated by the legislature (see NMSA 1978 Section 3-39-4 on municipal airports). Practically, Rio Rancho residents concerned about aircraft or helicopter noise must direct complaints to the operating airport or to the FAA rather than to city code enforcement, because there is no city decibel cap or curfew that reaches overflights. The nearest major facility serving the area is Albuquerque International Sunport, an FAA-regulated airport. The city's decibel meters and the 55/50 dB(A) residential limits in Section 131.06 do not measure or restrict aircraft. In short: no Rio Rancho ordinance governs aircraft noise; federal (FAA) and state aviation law control.