Commercial drone operators in Pennsylvania must comply with FAA Part 107 certification and any state offenses under Act 78 of 2018, which preempts local commercial drone ordinances and centralizes regulation at state and federal levels.
FAA Part 107 requires a Remote Pilot Certificate, aircraft registration, Remote ID broadcast, and operational waivers for night, over-people, or beyond-visual-line-of-sight commercial flights. Pennsylvania's Act 78 of 2018 (18 Pa.C.S. Sections 3505-3506) preempts municipal commercial drone regulation and adds state criminal penalties for surveillance, contraband delivery, and interference with first responders. PennDOT and DCNR may restrict ground operations on state property, but airspace rules remain federal.
FAA penalties for Part 107 violations can exceed $30,000 per occurrence. State criminal violations include misdemeanors and second-degree felony exposure up to 10 years in prison.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg enforces citywide quiet hours from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM under Harrisburg City Code Chapter 3-503. During these hours, sound audible at the property...
Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg administers on-street parking under City Code Title 10 with day-to-day operations contracted to Park Harrisburg (SP+ Municipal Services). Resident...
Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg caps residential fence height at 4 feet in front yards and 6 feet in side and rear yards under Zoning Code Ch. 7-301. Corner lots are subject to a...
Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg requires every dog in a public space to be leashed and under the control of a person physically able to restrain it, with a maximum leash length o...
Harrisburg, PA
Pennsylvania Act 43 of 2017 legalized consumer-grade (1.4G) fireworks statewide for adults 18+. Harrisburg uses its home rule authority and the 150-foot rule...
Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg requires owners to maintain grass and weeds on residential lots at or below 10 inches in height under Property Maintenance Code Ch. 5-301. Violati...
See how Harrisburg's commercial drones rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.