Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup
Drone Rules

Drone Rules in Wichita Falls, TX: What Residents Actually Need to Know

By CityRuleLookup Editorial Team

If you live in Wichita Falls or are thinking about moving there, drone rules are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Wichita Falls has 2 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of drone rules, and some of them might surprise you.

Recreational Drones

Wichita Falls has no citywide drone ordinance, the FAA governs airspace, but radio-controlled model aircraft, including recreational drones, cannot be flown in the western section of Lake Wichita Park or near active softball backstops there.

Key details: Citation: City Code § 82-66. Restricted area: West of Lake Wichita Park runway. Buffer: 500 ft of active softball backstops. Penalty: Fine up to $500 (§ 1-14). Airspace authority: FAA controls drones nationwide.

Section 82-66 lists no specific penalty, so it falls under the city's general penalty clause (§ 1-14): a fine up to $500, with each day of violation a separate offense.

The rules around recreational drones in Wichita Falls lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Park Drone Restrictions

Radio-controlled aircraft, the ordinance category covering drones, are banned from flying west of the runway at Lake Wichita Park and within 500 feet of an active softball backstop.

Key details: Restricted park: Lake Wichita Park. No-fly zone: West of the concrete runway. Buffer distance: 500 feet from active backstops. Max fine: $500 (general penalty).

Violating any park section without its own stated fine is punishable up to $500 under the code's general penalty clause.

The Bottom Line

Wichita Falls's drone rules rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Wichita Falls is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Wichita Falls can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.