Indio, CA Drone Rules: Event Drone Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer distance
- 500 feet horizontal
- Authorization needed
- written City Manager approval
- Max criminal fine
- $1,000 plus 6 months jail
- Covers
- Coachella and Stagecoach in Indio
- Citation
- Indio Municipal Code § 105.04(A)(16)
Summary
Indio prohibits operating a drone within 500 feet of any special event in the city, including Coachella and Stagecoach, without written authorization from the City Manager or designee.
Special events. No person may operate a drone, unmanned aircraft, or small unmanned aircraft above or within a 500-foot horizontal distance of any special event held in the City, unless:
(a) The operation is in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations; and
(b) Is operating in compliance with the written authorization of the City Manager or their designee.
(c) The remote pilot in command must have the written authorization of the City Manager or their designee in their physical possession and readily accessible to present for inspection, upon the request of any law enforcement officer, the City Manager or their designee.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4796010; v13 updated 2026-02-04; through 02-04-2026).
Full Breakdown
Indio Municipal Code § 105.04(A)(16) bars operating a drone, unmanned aircraft, or small unmanned aircraft above or within a 500-foot horizontal distance of any special event held in the city unless the pilot has written authorization from the City Manager or their designee, carried and ready to present to any law enforcement officer on request. Because the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Stagecoach are both held in Indio (not the separate City of Coachella), the buffer covers those festival grounds. The rule sits alongside a broader list of protected sites, City Hall, schools, hospitals, jails, and utility facilities, in the same section.
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 105 is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail, or an administrative fine of up to $1,000 per offense per day; the drone may be impounded (§ 105.07).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the drone ban apply during Coachella and Stagecoach?
Can I get permission to fly near a special event?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Indio
California rules heatmap·Compare Indio to another location·View the California drone rules overview
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Event Drone Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle event drone restrictions.