Thousand Oaks, CA Drone Rules: Commercial Drones (2026)

03(a), any commercial motion or still photography, including drone-based aerial footage, needs a film permit before shooting on public or private property, the right-of-way, or a residence in Thousand Oaks. 05(b)(7) requires the application to identify the unmanned aircraft system activity alongside other items that may cause public alarm, such as firearms, pyrotechnics, and animals. 05(b)(8) goes further, requiring the applicant to submit documentation and approvals already obtained from whichever federal, state, or local agencies have jurisdiction over the drone or aerial activity before the City will process that part of the application.

In practice this means an FAA authorization tied to the flight, plus any other agency clearance the production needs, has to be attached to the file. 01 of Title 1. 06 still apply on top of the standard permit fee: the applicant pays for City personnel, including police, fire, or traffic control, needed to manage a drone shoot over a crowd or roadway. This drone-disclosure language was added when the chapter was substantially rewritten by Part 1 of Ordinance 1748-NS, effective May 15, 2026; the prior chapter text did not mention drones or unmanned aircraft systems.