Zephyrhills West Drone Rules: Commercial Drones Rules (2026)

Commercial drone operations in Pasco County require an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate (14 CFR Part 107) — a common credential among local real estate photographers, roofing inspectors, surveyors, and agricultural drone services across Pasco's citrus and cattle operations in Dade City and San Antonio. The Part 107 exam must be passed at an FAA-approved testing center, with recurrent training every 24 months. Pasco lies in busy Tampa Bay airspace; Tampa International Class B extends over southern Pasco, and controlled airspace over Tampa Executive and Zephyrhills Municipal covers central and east Pasco. LAANC (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability) provides near-real-time FAA authorization for flights in these zones. Operations over people, beyond visual line of sight, or at night require specific FAA waivers or operations under the Operations Over People rule. Florida Statute §934.50 governs surveillance use. Pasco County may require business tax receipts for drone-based businesses operating in unincorporated areas.