Bannock County, ID Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Bannock County Code § 17.52.550, the wind turbine standards found in the county's general zoning regulations, sets the only decibel limit written into the county code. Subsection (A)(4) requires every wind turbine tower facility, regardless of size, to be sited so that the noise produced during its operation stays at or under 45 dBA, measured at the boundary of any adjacent parcel under different ownership, or at any point past the site's own property line if that boundary is closer. The limit applies uniformly across the three turbine classes the chapter defines: small turbines under 65 feet, medium turbines between 65 and 150 feet or under 100 kilowatts, and commercial turbines above either threshold.

Commercial turbines carry additional siting protection layered on top of the noise cap, including a setback of three times total turbine height, measured line of sight, from the nearest occupied residence, school, hospital, church, place of employment, or public library (17.52.550(D)(2)(b)), unless the affected property owner agrees in writing to a smaller distance and records that agreement with the Bannock County Recorder. Outside of wind energy systems, the zoning code does not otherwise set a numeric decibel ceiling for general land uses; noise from other operations, such as a nonconforming commercial use near a home, is instead addressed by requiring buffer distances and screening rather than a measured sound limit.