Commercial drone operators in Douglas County must hold an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Omaha's Class C airspace and Offutt AFB's Class D require LAANC authorization. City filming permits may be required for commercial drone photography in public spaces.
Commercial drone operations in Douglas County require an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate obtained by passing an aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center and recurrent training every 24 months. Commercial use includes real estate photography (very active market in Omaha/Elkhorn/Bennington), construction inspections, infrastructure surveys, utility inspections (OPPD), film production, and delivery. Operations in controlled airspace — which covers most of metro Omaha due to Eppley Airfield (Class C) and Offutt AFB (Class D) — require LAANC authorization through apps like Aloft or Skyward, or a formal FAA airspace waiver. Night operations, operations over moving vehicles, beyond-visual-line-of-sight, and operations over non-participants require FAA Part 107 waivers. The City of Omaha may require a film permit for commercial drone photography in the public right-of-way or on city property through the Mayor's Office. Insurance is not federally mandated but is industry standard. Remote ID transmission is now required on all commercial drones under FAA rules.
Operating commercially without Part 107: FAA civil penalties up to $32,666 per violation. Local permit violations: $100 to $1,000. Unauthorized flight in controlled airspace (Eppley or Offutt): federal criminal penalties and potential military response.
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