Downey, CA Drone Rules: Commercial Drones (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted
- Ord. 22-1489, September 13, 2022
- Flight hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. only
- School buffer
- 200 feet during school hours/events
- Emergency buffer
- 500 feet from active incidents/aircraft
- Bystander buffer
- 25 feet minimum
- Injury/damage report
- Notify Downey PD within 24 hours
Summary
Downey Municipal Code Chapter 16 requires anyone flying a Civil UAS, defined to include commercial and business use, to follow a detailed operating checklist: daylight-only hours, distance limits from people and property, visual-line-of-sight, and a privacy ban on recording without consent.
No person shall cause, allow, permit, or suffer the take off, landing, or operation of an UA or UAS in the City, unless in strict adherence to the following regulations: (a) The UA or UAS shall only take off, land, or operate within the City during the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.; (i) The UA or UAS shall be and shall remain in the operator's visual line of sight at all times from take-off to landing; (l) The UA or UAS shall not record or transmit any visual image or audio record of any person or privately-owned real property located in the City under circumstances in which the subject person or owner or occupant of the privately-owned real property has a reasonable expectation of privacy or without their express written permission (including, but not limited to, inside the premises or curtilage of a private residence, office, or hotel/motel room, or of inside of backyard, exterior deck, or any enclosed yard).
Full Breakdown
Adopted by Ordinance 22-1489 on September 13, 2022, Chapter 16 defines "Civil UAS" as an unmanned aircraft operated for any purpose other than strictly hobby or recreational use, expressly including commercial purposes and business or media services such as real estate photography or advertising. 2 clarifies the chapter is not intended to preempt FAA rules or state law but operates alongside them. ; no takeoff or landing on public sidewalks, streets or parking facilities, and no operation less than 100 feet above them; written consent required to operate over private property other than the operator's own; 500-foot buffers from active emergency vehicles, emergency incidents and public agency aircraft; a 200-foot buffer from schools during school hours or events absent written authorization; continuous visual line of sight; a 25-foot buffer from bystanders; and a ban on recording or transmitting images or audio of any person or private property where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, including inside a home, office, hotel room, backyard or enclosed yard, without written permission.
Operators who cause injury or property damage must notify the Downey Police Department within 24 hours and provide identification, with each missed report a separate violation.
Violations & Fines
Any violation of Chapter 16 is a misdemeanor punishable under Section 1200, generally up to a $1,000 fine or six months in jail, and every violation is independently declared a public nuisance subject to civil or administrative abatement. Failing to report an injury or property-damage incident within 24 hours, or to identify yourself to an injured party or property owner, is a separate offense for each day it continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Downey's drone rules apply to my real estate photography business?
Can I fly a commercial drone over a neighbor's backyard to get footage?
What if my drone injures someone during a commercial shoot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Downey
California rules heatmap·Compare Downey to another location·View the California drone rules overview
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