El Dorado County, CA Drone Rules: Commercial Drones (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- El Dorado County Code § 5.58.040(B)
- Must disclose
- drone use as public-alarm activity
- Required paperwork
- remote pilot certificate, UAS registration
- Also required
- waivers, flight-operations description
- Loses exemption
- drone use voids portrait exemption
Summary
El Dorado County requires any filming permit application involving a drone to include the pilot's remote pilot certificate, the UAS registration certificate, and flight-operation details under Code Section 5.58.040(B)(9). Drone use must also be flagged upfront as an activity that may cause public alarm under Section 5.58.040(B)(7), alongside gunfire and low-flying aircraft.
7.Activity which may cause public alarm, such as the use of any animals, gunfire or pyrotechnics, low flying helicopters and/or unmanned aircraft systems (drones).8.The exact amount/type of vehicles/equipment to be employed along with a parking plan.9.All applicable documentation (remote pilot certificate, UAS registration certificate, waivers, description of flight operations, etc.) if a UAS (drone) is being used.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
040(B) lists ten items every filming permit application must include, and two of them are aimed squarely at drone operations. 030, can plan around it. Item 9 then requires the applicant to submit all applicable documentation, including the remote pilot certificate, UAS registration certificate, waivers, and description of flight operations, if a UAS is being used, meaning the production must have its FAA paperwork, aircraft registration, and any airspace waivers in hand before the county will process the application. 020(B)(4), which only applies to still photography that does not require drone use.
050 must stay in force through the drone operation, and the county can require a refundable security deposit for cleanup and restoration once flight operations wrap. 010 covers commercial, television, and even student productions, a drone shot for any of those purposes triggers the same documentation requirement.
Violations & Fines
Flying a drone for a commercial, television, or student production without disclosing it on the Section 5.58.040(B)(7) application, or without submitting the remote pilot certificate and UAS registration required by Section 5.58.040(B)(9), is a permit violation. Section 5.58.060 lets the county issue notice and revoke the filming permit, halting all activity, if the documentation gap isn't corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
What paperwork does a drone filming permit need in El Dorado County?
Do I have to mention drone use on the permit application?
Can I skip the filming permit if I only need drone shots for a school project?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Dorado County
California rules heatmap·Compare El Dorado County to another location·View the California drone rules overview
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