Ontario, CA Drone Rules: Event Drone Restrictions (2026)

Two Ontario Municipal Code provisions target events. Sec. 1003(n) bars landing or takeoff of a drone in the area of an active parade, motorcade, or City event without the City Manager's written authorization. Sec. 1004(l), in the protected-sites article, adds a 500-foot horizontal buffer around any special event in the city, again requiring the City Manager's written authorization to enter. Sec. 1002(i) defines special event broadly: any event, assembly, or gathering on public land, an open-air facility, private property, or a commercial or industrial facility that is open to the public and intended to attract people, expressly including sporting events, concerts, festivals, farmer's markets, and street fairs.

Sec. 1004(r) also lets the City Manager, Chief of Police, Fire Chief, or their designees issue 'No Fly' proclamations tied to specific locations, dates, and times, posted on the city website, at City Hall, and at the Police Department, and operators must check for an active proclamation before flying. All of these event-related provisions took effect under Ordinance 3310, effective September 18, 2025, alongside the rest of the city's Article 10 drone regulations.