Lodi, CA Drone Rules: Commercial Drones (2026)

Lodi has not adopted a separate commercial drone ordinance — federal law (14 CFR Part 107) preempts most local airspace and certification rules. A commercial drone operator (anyone flying for non-recreational purposes, including real-estate photography, vineyard surveys, construction progress shots, or delivery) must (1) obtain an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate by passing the Part 107 knowledge test, (2) register each drone over 0.55 lb under Part 107, (3) operate only in daylight or civil twilight (or hold an approved waiver / use anti-collision lighting), (4) fly at or below 400 ft AGL, (5) keep the drone within visual line-of-sight, (6) yield right-of-way to manned aircraft, (7) not operate over people who are not directly participating unless the drone qualifies under Category 1–4 of the 'operations over people' rule, and (8) request LAANC airspace authorization before any flight in Class B/C/D/E controlled airspace. Lodi sits in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace, so LAANC is generally not required, but FAA still requires pilots flying within 5 miles of Lodi Airport (1O3) or Lodi Airpark (L53) to coordinate with the airport operator. California Government Code §853 governs use of drones by California public agencies. For commercial operations over Lodi Lake events or any temporary flight restriction (TFR) — common during structure fires that Lodi Fire responds to — pilots must check the FAA B4UFLY app before each flight.