Arizona commercial drone pilots operate under FAA Part 107 and ARS 13-3729 state rules, with cities barred from imposing separate licensing or operational regulations.
ARS 13-3729 preempts municipal regulation of unmanned aircraft systems, including commercial use, leaving authority with the FAA and state criminal statutes. Commercial pilots must hold an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, register the aircraft, and comply with airspace, altitude, and visual line-of-sight rules. Arizona criminal statutes prohibit interfering with emergency responders, surveilling critical infrastructure, and operating recklessly. Cities may restrict government-owned land use for launch and landing but cannot license or zone commercial flight operations.
Operating commercially without a Part 107 certificate is a federal violation. State penalties apply for dangerous operations, and FAA fines for non-compliance can reach tens of thousands of dollars per incident.
See how Lake Havasu City's commercial drones rules stack up against other locations.
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