Waukegan, IL Drone Rules: Event Drone Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Consent required
- Property owner's consent for open air events
- Examples covered
- Street festivals, parades, stadiums, amusement parks
- Fine range
- $250.00 to $750.00 per offense
- Seizure trigger
- 2nd offense or injury/property damage
- Altitude cap
- 400 feet above ground level
- Governing section
- City Code § 15-141(a)(5), (b)(10)
Summary
Waukegan bars flying a drone over any 'open air assembly unit' without the property owner's consent under City Code Sec. 15-141(b)(10). The ordinance defines that term to include amusement parks, stadiums, athletic fields, band stands, beach enclosures, outdoor theaters, race tracks, and street festivals or parade routes, so a drone can't legally hover over a festival crowd or parade route without permission.
(5)"Open air assembly unit" means any structure, enclosed area or other demarcated space used for the assembly of persons in the open air, including, but not limited to, amusement parks, stadiums, athletic fields, automotive speed ways, aviation fields, band stands, beach enclosures, grandstands, observation platforms, outdoor public swimming pools, outdoor theaters, race tracks, reviewing stands, street festivals or parade routes. ... No person shall operate any small unmanned aircraft in city airspace: ... (10)Over any open air assembly unit, school, school yard, public or private park, hospital, place of worship, prison or police station, without the property owner's consent, and subject to any restrictions or regulations the property owner may place on such operation;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 113).
Full Breakdown
Section 15-141(a)(5) defines 'open air assembly unit' broadly: any structure, enclosed area, or other demarcated space used for the assembly of persons outdoors, expressly naming amusement parks, stadiums, athletic fields, automotive speedways, aviation fields, band stands, beach enclosures, grandstands, observation platforms, outdoor public swimming pools, outdoor theaters, race tracks, reviewing stands, and street festivals or parade routes. Subsection (b)(10) then folds that definition into the chapter's list of prohibited drone operations: no person may operate a small unmanned aircraft over an open air assembly unit without the property owner's consent, and any consent given is subject to whatever restrictions the property owner attaches to it.
This sits alongside the chapter's other blanket limits, including a 400-foot altitude ceiling, a ban on flying beyond the operator's own unaided line of sight, and a ban on flying between dusk and dawn, all of which apply on top of the event-specific consent requirement. S. Code, and it does not restrict city or other public-agency drone use for government purposes.
Violations & Fines
Flying a drone over a street festival, parade route, stadium, or other open air assembly unit without the property owner's consent is punishable by a fine of not less than $250.00 nor more than $750.00 for each offense under Sec. 15-141(d), with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense; a second offense, or any incident causing property damage or injury, lets the mayor, police chief, or an officer seize the drone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fly a drone over a Waukegan street festival or parade?
What's the fine for flying a drone over a public event without permission?
Who can seize my drone if I fly it over an event?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waukegan
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