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

Local noise ordinances do not reach aircraft in flight. Section 4-6-7(j) of the County's Noise Control ordinance exempts 'any activity to the extent regulation thereof has been preempted by State or Federal law,' and aircraft noise is the classic example of federal preemption. Through the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 and the Noise Control Act of 1972, Congress and the FAA have preempted airspace use, air traffic control, aircraft flight operations, and aircraft noise standards, so neither the County nor a city may set curfews or noise limits that affect aircraft in flight. The one recognized opening is the 'proprietor exception': the operator of an airport (often a governmental agency) may impose limited noise-abatement measures on its own facility, and California regulates airport noise through state airport noise standards administered for proprietors. In Orange County, John Wayne Airport operates a noise-abatement program under that proprietor authority. For residents in unincorporated areas, this means complaints about overflight noise generally must go to the FAA or the relevant airport's noise office rather than to County code enforcement, because the County's measured dB(A) limits in Sections 4-6-5 and 4-6-6 do not apply to aircraft.