Chicago, IL Drone Rules: Airport Proximity Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- No-fly buffer
- 5 miles of any airport
- Fine range
- $500 to $5,000 per offense
- Jail exposure
- up to 180 days
- Storage fee if seized
- $20.00 per day
- Enforcing agencies
- Aviation, Police, Fire Commissioner
Summary
Chicago prohibits flying any small unmanned aircraft within five miles of any airport. The citywide drone ordinance treats airport proximity as an absolute no-fly zone with no property-owner consent exception, backed by fines up to $5,000 and possible jail time.
(b) Operating regulations. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this section, no person shall operate any small unmanned aircraft in city airspace: ... (6) within five miles of any airport; ... (d) Violation – Penalty. Any person who violates this section or any rule promulgated thereunder shall be fined not less than $500.00 nor more than $5,000.00 for each offense, or may be incarcerated for a term not to exceed 180 days, or both. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-74: Current through Council Journal of June 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Municipal Code of Chicago § 10-36-400(b) sets seventeen operating restrictions for small unmanned aircraft (drones under 55 pounds) flown in city airspace, and subsection (b)(6) flatly bars operation "within five miles of any airport": a distance that, given O'Hare, Midway and several smaller fields, sweeps in most of the city's airspace. Unlike several neighboring restrictions in the same subsection (flying over people, private property, or sensitive sites), the airport buffer carries no consent-based exception; there is no mechanism in the text for a property owner or the airport itself to waive it.
R. ) is also preserved. Enforcement runs through the Chicago Department of Aviation, Police, and Fire Commissioner, who under subsection (e) may seize a drone believed to be flown in violation, with a mandatory administrative hearing noticed to the owner within seven calendar days. 00 per day of storage, and stays impounded through the end of any related criminal case. The rule sits inside Article IV of Chapter 10-36 (Small Unmanned Aircraft), added by City Council in 2016 and since amended, and applies whether the flight is hobbyist or commercial.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 10-36-400(b)(6), or any other operating restriction in the section, is punishable under subsection (d) by a fine of not less than $500.00 nor more than $5,000.00 per offense, up to 180 days' incarceration, or both, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense. The drone itself may also be seized under subsection (e); release requires reimbursing the city's cartage costs and $20.00 per day of storage, and the aircraft is held indefinitely if criminal charges are pending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fly a hobby drone anywhere within five miles of O'Hare or Midway?
Does an FAA Part 107 license let me fly near a Chicago airport?
What happens if the city catches my drone flying near an airport?
How much is the fine for flying a drone too close to a Chicago airport?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chicago
Compare Chicago to another location·View the Illinois drone rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.