Tulare County cannot regulate operational aircraft noise — it is preempted by federal and state law. The General Plan Noise Element instead limits new noise-sensitive development within the 60 CNEL contour of public-use airports (Visalia, Porterville, Mefford Field, and others).
The Tulare County General Plan Noise Element expressly recognizes that 'Noise from traffic on public roadways, railroad operations and aircraft operations is preempted by existing federal and/or state regulations,' which means the county cannot adopt an ordinance regulating individual aircraft operations, overflight altitudes, or engine noise. Federal preemption flows from 49 U.S.C. Section 40103 (sovereignty of U.S. airspace) and the Federal Aviation Act, and the California Public Utilities Code reserves airport noise regulation to the state. The county's only practical tool is land-use control: per the Noise Element, 'No noise-sensitive land uses which require approval under the Tulare County Zoning Ordinance or the Tulare County Subdivision Ordinance shall be permitted within the 60 CNEL contour of the public-use airports identified in the Plan.' The Noise Element also sets land-use compatibility standards of 60 dB Ldn/CNEL exterior in outdoor activity areas (up to 65 dB Ldn/CNEL where best-available noise reduction technology cannot achieve 60), and a strict interior limit of 45 dB Ldn with windows and doors closed. Public-use airports in Tulare County include Visalia Municipal Airport, Porterville Municipal Airport, Mefford Field (Tulare), Sequoia Field, and Exeter Airport. Residents affected by aircraft noise must direct complaints to the airport operator or the FAA, not to county Code Compliance.
There are no county-level penalties for aircraft-noise complaints because the county lacks enforcement authority. Failure of a developer to comply with the 60 CNEL siting restriction is enforced through denial of a zoning entitlement or subdivision map, not through a noise citation.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Visalia, CA
Visalia prohibits storing inoperative, abandoned, wrecked, or dismantled vehicles on public or private property for more than 10 days unless screened from view.
Visalia, CA
Visalia requires all front-yard residential parking to be on an impervious surface like pavement or concrete, and prohibits vehicle repairs on driveways.
Visalia, CA
Visalia has no blanket citywide overnight parking ban, but Visalia Municipal Code 10.16.190 authorizes the City Manager to post 'all-night parking prohibited...
Visalia, CA
Visalia adopts the California Swimming Pool Safety Act and VMC 15.40.040, which require private residential swimming pools and spas to be enclosed by a 60-in...
Visalia, CA
Fences and walls may be placed on residential property lines, but anything taller than 3 feet must sit outside the required front-yard setback and the street...
Visalia, CA
Visalia Municipal Code Chapter 17.36 allows fences to be built of any generally acceptable material in residential zones, but barbed wire and electrically ch...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Tulare County.
See how Visalia's aircraft noise rules stack up against other locations.
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