South Fulton, GA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger distance, airport
- Within 5 miles of Hartsfield-Jackson boundary
- Trigger distance, expressway
- Within 1,000 feet of an expressway
- Trigger distance, rail
- Within 3,000 feet of an active rail line
- Attenuation trigger
- Day-night average sound level above 65 dBA
- Interior target
- 50 dBA or less after attenuation
- Who prepares it
- State-registered professional engineer or noise professional
Summary
Any rezoning or special-use application within five miles of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, 1,000 feet of an expressway, or 3,000 feet of an active rail line triggers a mandatory noise study in South Fulton. Section 803.14 requires that study to analyze aircraft, roadway, business, and construction noise, and to propose sound attenuation if the day-night average exceeds 65 dBA.
(1)A noise study shall be performed by a state registered professional engineer or noise professional if a proposed site is located within 1,000 feet of an expressway, within 3,000 feet of an active rail line, or within five miles of the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport boundary. An expressway is defined as a highway facility usually having two or more lanes for the exclusive use of traffic in each direction and partial control of access (i.e. I-85, I-285 and GA-400).(2)The noise study shall include an analysis of the proposed use with respect to existing ambient noise, that is, business and industry noise, aircraft noise, roadway noise, and construction noise.(3)If the noise study results in a day-night average sound level greater than 65 dBA, the applicant shall provide a sound attenuation plan specifying the type of noise buffering measures/materials to be employed during construction that will reduce the interior residential noise levels to 50 dBA or less.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Section 803.14 is a submission requirement attached to the rezoning and special-use process in Article 8, not a blanket citywide noise limit: it triggers when a proposed development site sits within five miles of the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport boundary, within 1,000 feet of an expressway (defined as a multi-lane, partial-access highway such as I-85, I-285, or GA-400), or within 3,000 feet of an active rail line. Once triggered, a state-registered professional engineer or noise professional must prepare the study, and it has to analyze the site against existing ambient noise from business and industry, aircraft, roadways, and construction, not aircraft noise in isolation.
If that analysis produces a day-night average sound level above 65 dBA, the applicant cannot simply proceed: Section 803.14(3) requires a sound attenuation plan identifying the specific buffering measures and materials to be built into construction so that interior residential noise drops to 50 dBA or less. Section 803.14(4) fixes how the readings are taken, measured from the noise source to the nearest point on the site where a noise-sensitive structure sits, labeled the noise assessment location, using a measurement point 6.5 feet from the building facade, or 6.5 feet less than the setback line if the structure's exact location isn't yet set. The section cross-references federal HUD noise standards at 24 C.F.R. Part 51, Subpart B, Section 51.103 for its exterior criteria.
Violations & Fines
Because Section 803.14 is a rezoning application requirement rather than a use restriction, the consequence of skipping it is procedural: an application missing the required noise study, or lacking the sound attenuation plan a study above 65 dBA demands, is incomplete and cannot move to public hearing under Article 8's review standards until the applicant supplies it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does South Fulton require a noise study near the airport?
What triggers a sound attenuation plan?
Does this noise rule apply to every property in the city?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in South Fulton
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Aircraft Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fulton County handle aircraft noise.