Houston, TX Drone Rules: Event Drone Restrictions (2026)

Chapter 25's outdoor music event rules apply once a live performance is expected to draw more than 500 people, is open to the public or ticketed, and is not held entirely inside a permanent structure, under the definition in Section 25-161. Section 25-162 makes it unlawful to hold such an event without a permit approved by the MOSE director. Section 25-163(a) requires the organizer to file the application at least 30 days before the event, on a MOSE form, with a non-refundable processing fee; applications filed fewer than 30 days out draw an expedited fee and are barred outright if the event needs an expedited state right-of-way closure.

Section 25-163(c) lists 20 required disclosures, and item (16) is the drone-specific requirement: a list of unmanned aircraft systems to be used, if any, and the purposes for which the UAS will be used, alongside disclosures like security staffing, insurance, and any planned fireworks or pyrotechnics. The organizer must also submit a proposed event control plan under Section 25-164, which the MOSE director approves in coordination with the Houston police chief, fire chief, EMS medical director, and the local health authority, and which must cover crowd control, medical staffing, and traffic management.

Section 25-165 lists the grounds on which MOSE can deny a permit, including unpaid fees, an inadequate site, or a material misrepresentation in the application. Section 25-167 lets an organizer appeal a denial or revocation by requesting a hearing within ten business days; an impartial hearing officer must hold the hearing within ten business days and issue a written decision within five business days. Permits cannot be transferred or assigned to another organizer or venue under Section 25-163(d).