Kitsap County, WA Drone Rules: Commercial Drones (2026)
Key Facts
- Blanket exemption term
- Up to 2 years, renewable
- Requirements
- WA business license + FAA registration
- Short-term exemption
- Up to 12 hours per application
- Buffer zone
- 3,000 ft around 5 Naval Base Kitsap sites
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine and/or 60 days jail
Summary
Commercial drone operators, such as delivery or merchandise-transport ventures, may fly within Kitsap's military installation protection overlay areas only after obtaining a two-year blanket exemption requiring a valid Washington business license and FAA registration; the county does not otherwise license commercial drone flights outside those zones.
2. Blanket Exemption. A blanket exemption shall allow the launching and landing of UAS for goods or merchandise transport by a business or commercial venture with a valid Washington State business license and an approved FAA registration within a military installation protection overlay area for a period of up to two years. Blanket exemptions may be renewed for additional two-year periods beginning ninety days before their expiration.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4864424; v0 updated 2025-12-08; through 12-08-2025).
Full Breakdown
020(F)). 040(B)(2), valid for up to two years and renewable for further two-year terms starting ninety days before expiration; the exemption requires the operator hold a valid Washington State business license and an FAA registration. 040(B)(1) for any civil UAS, commercial or otherwise, allowing up to twelve hours of launching and landing per application, but it does not authorize repeat commercial operations the way the blanket exemption does. 010) makes clear the ordinance exists to buffer the county's naval installations, not to regulate commercial drone use generally.
S. Navy and county sheriff electronically before flight, and none of it authorizes flying over military installation property itself, which remains subject to separate FAA and Navy approval.
Violations & Fines
Operating without an approved exemption within a military installation protection overlay area is a misdemeanor under § 10.62.050, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, though officers retain discretion to issue a warning. A drone posing an imminent threat may be detected, disabled, seized, or interdicted by law enforcement without prior consent, and is subject to impoundment and forfeiture under § 10.62.060.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fly a commercial delivery drone near Naval Base Kitsap?
Do I need county approval for commercial drone flights outside the base buffer zones?
What happens if a commercial drone flies in a restricted zone without an exemption?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kitsap County
Compare Kitsap County to another location·View the Washington drone rules overview
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