Salt Lake County, UT Drone Rules: Commercial Drones (2026)
Key Facts
- Federal Rule
- 14 CFR Part 107. Small UAS
- Certificate
- Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate
- Recurrent Training
- Every 24 months (online, free)
- Remote ID
- Required since March 16, 2024
- KSLC Class B Airspace
- Covers Salt Lake City + most suburbs. LAANC required
- Recommended Insurance
- $1M aviation liability (industry standard)
- State Preemption
- Utah Code §72-14-103
- Correctional Facility Ban
- Utah Code §76-10-2402. Class A misdemeanor
Summary
Commercial drone work in Salt Lake County (real estate photography, construction progress mapping, inspections, surveying, ski-resort marketing) requires the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate plus FAA registration of every aircraft over 0.55 lb. Because the Salt Lake Valley is blanketed by KSLC Class B airspace (and Hill AFB Class D restrictions to the north), nearly every commercial mission requires LAANC authorization or a Part 107 Waiver. Utah preempts city/county commercial drone ordinances under Utah Code §72-14-103, but operators are subject to Utah's drone trespass (§76-6-206), voyeurism (§76-9-702.7), wildfire (§65A-3-2.5), and correctional-facility (§76-10-2402) statutes. Drones used in critical infrastructure inspections, public safety, or first-responder support may apply for FAA Part 107.39 waivers (flight over people) and Part 107 BVLOS waivers.
Except as authorized by federal law, a political subdivision may not: (a) enact or enforce an ordinance, regulation, or resolution regarding an unmanned aircraft; or (b) require an operator to obtain a permit or pay a fee to operate an unmanned aircraft. (2) Notwithstanding Subsection (1), a political subdivision may regulate the operation of an unmanned aircraft on or above property that the political subdivision owns or leases, including by requiring an operator to comply with reasonable terms and conditions of use.
Full Breakdown
39); (8) Class B/C/D airspace requires LAANC or ATC authorization. Salt Lake-specific: the KSLC Class B floor is the surface across most of the valley, so a real-estate photographer in Sugar House, downtown SLC, or Murray must file a LAANC request for each flight via Aloft, AirMap, or Skyward. LAANC ceilings vary by grid square, many are 100 ft, some 0 ft (no flight). For Park City and the Cottonwood canyons (outside Class B), pilots still need to check for TFRs and ski resort/private land rules.
Insurance: while not legally required, most clients (general contractors, real estate brokerages, ski resorts) demand $1M aviation liability, common providers include Verifly/SkyWatch and Global Aerospace. State law: §72-14-103 preempts cities/counties from regulating commercial UAS operations directly, but a pilot still must obey trespass (don't fly over a private home in Holladay without permission), voyeurism (no peeping windows in Cottonwood Heights), and correctional-facility (no flights over Salt Lake County Adult Detention Center on 3300 South) statutes.
Violations & Fines
FAA Part 107 violations: civil penalties up to $32,666 per violation; certificate suspension or revocation; criminal referral for reckless operation. Common Salt Lake-area infractions: flying in KSLC Class B without LAANC, flying above the LAANC-authorized ceiling, flying BVLOS without waiver, missing Remote ID broadcast. State law: criminal trespass with drone, Class B misdemeanor ($1,000 + 6 months); voyeurism with drone, Class A misdemeanor ($2,500 + 1 year); drone over correctional facility, Class A misdemeanor; weaponized drone, Class B misdemeanor minimum. Wildfire TFR violation: Class B misdemeanor to second-degree felony. Civil exposure: a drone crash that injures a person or damages property in Salt Lake County is litigated in Third District Court, without insurance, the pilot is personally liable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do real estate drone photography over a house in Cottonwood Heights without permission?
Do I need LAANC for a Part 107 flight in downtown Salt Lake City?
Can Salt Lake County prohibit me from flying over the County Jail?
Is BVLOS allowed in Utah?
Sources & Official References
- [1]14 CFR Part 107 — Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems
- [2]FAA — Become a Drone Pilot (Part 107)
- [3]FAA Remote ID
- [4]Utah Code §72-14-103 — Local preemption of UAS regulation
- [5]Utah Code §76-10-2402 — Drone over correctional facility
- [6]Utah Code §76-9-702.7 — Voyeurism (incl. drones)
- [7]SLC International Airport — UAS Notification
Other rules in Salt Lake County
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