Austin Drone Rules: Park Drone Restrictions Rules (2026)

Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) operates under Austin City Code Chapter 8 (Parks and Public Property), which empowers the Director to regulate activities that may endanger park users or disturb wildlife. Park rules adopted by PARD prohibit operation of model aircraft and drones in city parks without an approved film, event, or research permit. Zilker Park (350 acres), Town Lake Metropolitan Park, Lady Bird Lake, Barton Springs, and the Greenbelt all prohibit drone takeoff and landing. The FAA preempts national airspace but Austin lawfully regulates use of park property. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) Class C airspace overlies much of South Austin, requiring FAA LAANC authorization. Texas Government Code §423.0046 makes it a Class B misdemeanor to fly over sports venues with 30,000+ seats during events — Q2 Stadium (Austin FC) and DKR Texas Memorial Stadium trigger FAA TFRs. Festival events such as ACL Music Festival and SXSW typically receive FAA-coordinated event TFRs covering Zilker and the urban core.