Ontario, CA Drone Rules: Airport Proximity Rules (2026)

Ontario Municipal Code Sec. 1004(a) sets the airport standoff: no person shall land or takeoff a drone within five miles of any airport unless authorized by the air traffic control tower. This sits alongside a set of other protected-site buffers in the same section, 500 feet from government buildings, City Hall, jails, police and fire stations, and schools in session, and 100 feet from cell towers or overhead utility lines, each requiring written authorization from the relevant chief administrator. Sec. 1003(k) separately requires drone operators citywide to yield to manned aircraft and avoid interfering with airport traffic patterns, and Sec.

1003(l) bars flying in violation of any FAA temporary flight restriction or Notice to Airmen. Because Ontario International Airport sits within city limits, the 5-mile buffer effectively covers most of the city's developed area; operators must also separately comply with FAA-controlled airspace authorization for Class D or C airspace near the airport. The airport buffer and every protected-site rule in Sec. 1004 took effect under Ordinance 3310, effective September 18, 2025.