Clinton Township, MI Drone Rules: Park Drone Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- Code § 1062.18
- Permit required
- Written permit from Public Services Director
- Restricted devices
- Remote-controlled aircraft, cars, boats
- Also covers
- Archery restricted to same permit rule
- Enforcement
- General Code penalty under § 202.99
Summary
Flying a drone anywhere in a Clinton Township park takes a permit. Section 1062.18 restricts every remote-controlled device, including model planes and helicopters, plus archery, to areas and times the Township designates and only after a validly issued written permit from the Director of Public Services.
The operation of a remote controlled device, such as, model planes, helicopters, cars, boats, other objects, and archery shall be permitted only within the areas and times designated and a validly issued written permit by the Township Director of the Department of Public Services.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-25: Local legislation current through May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
" That means a resident cannot simply launch a drone from a park lawn or trailhead; the flight is unlawful unless both the specific area and time slot have been designated for remote-controlled use and the operator holds the Director's written permit in hand. The section groups drones with archery because both activities can send a fast-moving object beyond the operator's control into space shared with picnickers, pedestrians and playground users, and the Township chose to fence both off from general park use rather than leave them unregulated on the paved paths and open fields that ordinary visitors use.
03, all of whom can issue an appearance ticket directly in the park, and the underlying ordinance dates to 1983 with a 2013 amendment updating enforcement language.
Violations & Fines
Operating a drone or other remote-controlled device, or shooting archery, outside a designated area or time, or without the Director's written permit, is enforced under Section 1062.99, the Park Chapter's penalty section, which pulls in the general Code fine at Section 202.99 when the chapter sets no specific dollar amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fly a drone in a Clinton Township park?
Why does the park code group drones with archery?
Who issues the permit to fly a remote-controlled device in a Township park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clinton Township
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