Vermilion Parish, LA Drone Rules: Commercial Drones (2026)

The Police Jury's drone article bans takeoff and landing within a 2-mile radius of any designated event (§ 26-117). Section 26-118 is the working-pilot exception. It is open to certified UAS operators who hold a current part 107 remote pilot certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. They can apply for written authorization from the Vermilion Parish Sheriff's Office, or other designated governing law enforcement authority, to take off or land within the restricted zone. The listed purposes are newsgathering or media coverage, public safety or emergency operations, and event-related logistics or authorized filming. The word "including" means the list is not closed.

Timing is fixed: all requests must be submitted in writing at least 72 hours in advance. The law enforcement authority can waive that period in cases of emergency or exigent need, which is how a crew responding to a developing incident gets in the air.

The authorization is a written document with required content under subsection (c). It must specify the name, address and phone number of all persons involved in the drone operation, the date(s) and time(s) of approved operation, the specific location(s) for takeoff and landing, and any conditions or limitations imposed. A pilot who flies outside the approved location or window is outside the exception and exposed to the article's penalties.

The exception sits inside the event restriction, so it governs where a commercial or media pilot launches near a designated event, defined in § 26-116 as a public gathering expected to attract a large crowd, including festivals, fairs and parades. The Sheriff's Office enforces the article under § 26-119 and can issue citations, order flights stopped and confiscate equipment.