Los Angeles, CA Drone Rules: Event Drone Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum distance from people
- 25 feet, except operator and helpers
- Flight ceiling
- 400 feet above ground level
- Allowed hours
- Official sunrise to sunset only
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail
- Enacted
- Ord. No. 183,912, eff. 12/2/2015
Summary
Los Angeles bans flying a drone within 25 feet of any person other than the operator or the operator's helper: a rule that applies at concerts, parades, festivals, and any other public gathering citywide. LAMC § 56.31(b)(6) exempts only takeoff and landing, and violators face misdemeanor charges under the citywide penalty section, LAMC § 11.00(m).
(b) The following shall apply to the operation of any Model Aircraft within the City of Los Angeles: ... 6. Excluding takeoff and landing, no Person shall operate any Model Aircraft within the City of Los Angeles closer than 25 feet to any individual, except the operator or the operator's helper(s). ... (d) It shall be unlawful for any Person to violate or fail to comply with this section. Any Person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to the provisions of Subsection (m) of Section 11.00 of this Code.
Full Breakdown
31, added by Ordinance No. 183,912 effective December 2, 2015. Subsection (b)(6) states that, excluding takeoff and landing, no person may operate a Model Aircraft closer than 25 feet to any individual other than the operator or the operator's helper(s). At a concert in a city park, a parade route, or any other crowd event, this 25-foot buffer is the enforceable standard hobbyist pilots and event organizers must observe. The same subsection also layers on companion restrictions that matter at gatherings: drones must stay within the operator's unaided visual line of sight (no first-person-view goggles or spotters substituting for the pilot), may fly only between official sunrise and sunset, and are capped at 400 feet above ground level.
13, a standard that would flag flying directly over a packed crowd even where the 25-foot buffer is technically met at the edges. 00(m): a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both. Public-agency drones flown under valid FAA authorization are exempt under subsection (e).
Violations & Fines
Operating a drone within 25 feet of a bystander, beyond visual line of sight, before sunrise or after sunset, above 400 feet, or in a careless/reckless manner endangering people or property is a misdemeanor under LAMC § 56.31(d). Penalties follow the citywide default in LAMC § 11.00(m): up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in county jail, or both. LAPD and the City Attorney's Office handle enforcement and charging.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fly a drone over a concert or parade in Los Angeles?
Does the 25-foot rule apply to commercial drone operators too?
What happens if I'm caught flying too close to a crowd?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles
California rules heatmap·Compare Los Angeles to another location·View the California drone rules overview
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Event Drone Restrictions in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle event drone restrictions.