Commercial drone operations in Illinois are governed primarily by FAA Part 107, with state law adding criminal and privacy overlays that apply uniformly across all Illinois jurisdictions.
Commercial UAS operators must hold an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate under 14 CFR Part 107 and follow federal airspace rules. Illinois supplements federal authority through the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act (725 ILCS 167/) and Criminal Code provisions in 720 ILCS 5/26-4 prohibiting unauthorized video recording. Local governments may not ban commercial drone flight operations because airspace is federally preempted. Property-owner consent is generally required for takeoff and landing on private land but not for transit through navigable airspace.
Commercial flight without a Part 107 certificate, beyond visual line of sight without waiver, over people without compliant aircraft, or surveillance violating state privacy law.
See how O'Fallon's commercial drones rules stack up against other locations.
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