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Pitt County, NC Drone Rules: Commercial Drones (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Exemption basis
FAA Part 107 compliance or FAA COA
Agricultural exemption
bona fide farm use, N.C.G.S. § 153A-340
Public-agency exemption
government-operated UAS
Non-exempt operators
follow full Section 5 buffers
Penalty statute
N.C.G.S. § 14-4
Ordinance authority
N.C.G.S. § 153A-121

Summary

A commercial drone operator flying under FAA Part 107, or under an FAA Certificate of Authorization, is exempt from Pitt County's local UAS takeoff-and-landing restrictions entirely. Farm drones on bona fide agricultural land and public-agency drones get the same carve-out, leaving only non-Part-107 commercial flyers subject to the county's site buffers.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Pitt County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Section6: Exemption

A. This Ordinance shall not apply to any Public UAS.

B. This Ordinance shall not apply to any UAS weighing less than 0.55 lbs.

C. This Ordinance shall not apply to any UAS used for agricultural purposes on property used for bona fide farm purposes as defined in North Carolina General Statute 153A-340.

D. This Ordinance shall not apply to any UAS operated by a person in compliance with Title 14, Part 107 of the Code of Federal Regulations, or under a Certificate of Authorization issued by the FAA.

View official code

Full Breakdown

' Because most commercial drone work, real estate photography, agricultural surveying, infrastructure inspection, is flown under a Part 107 remote pilot certificate, a compliant commercial operator is not bound by Section 5's 500-foot emergency-vehicle buffer, 500-foot active-incident buffer, 100-foot school buffer, or 500-foot Detention Center buffer, and does not need the property-owner consent required of other flyers under Section 5(A). § 153A-340, covering crop-survey and spraying drones even without a Part 107 exemption. Section 6(A) exempts drones operated on behalf of a federal, state or local government. § 14-4.

Violations & Fines

Non-exempt commercial operators face the same enforcement as any other UAS user: prosecution under N.C.G.S. § 14-4 per Section 7 of the ordinance, a state misdemeanor statute, with no separate civil-fine schedule set by the county. Exempt Part 107 or FAA-authorized operators face no county-level penalty for the site restrictions the exemption covers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a commercial drone pilot need to follow Pitt County's UAS buffers?
Not if flying under FAA Part 107 or an FAA Certificate of Authorization. Section 6(D) of the UAS Ordinance exempts such operators from the entire ordinance, including the 500-foot emergency-vehicle and detention-center buffers and the 100-foot school buffer that apply to non-exempt flyers.
Are agricultural spray drones exempt from Pitt County's drone ordinance?
Yes. Section 6(C) exempts any UAS used for agricultural purposes on property meeting North Carolina's bona fide farm definition under N.C.G.S. § 153A-340, regardless of whether the operator also holds a Part 107 certificate.
What if a commercial drone operator isn't Part 107 certified?
Then no exemption applies, and Section 5's full restrictions govern: no takeoff or landing on private property without owner consent, and mandatory buffers around emergency vehicles, active incidents, schools and the Pitt County Detention Center, enforced as a misdemeanor under N.C.G.S. § 14-4.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Pitt County

Parking Rules: Overnight ParkingSome RestrictionsRecreational DronesSome RestrictionsPark Drone RestrictionsSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsFew RestrictionsFire Regulations: FireworksHeavy Restrictions

All Pitt County rules

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