Travis County, TX Drone Rules: Park Drone Restrictions (2026)

016 permits drone use in county parks only if the operator has complied with all FAA policies and rules, recognizing that many parks sit within restricted airspace near airports, if the drone does not interfere with other visitors' enjoyment of the area, and if it is flown safely and discreetly so it poses no safety or security threat. Operators must carry and produce proof of licensing for the drone if licensing is required. The rule bars all drone flights between dusk and dawn or during inclement weather, and it lets the county post signage at specific parks banning drones outright, a power it has exercised at Hamilton Pool Preserve, McGregor/Hippie Hollow Park, and Pogue Springs Park under the chapter's park-specific rules in Subchapter C.

Drones cannot be operated in a manner that could reasonably be found to disturb other visitors or adjacent residents, and flying a drone in any park with posted emergency helicopter landing zone signage requires prior approval through the special-event application process before takeoff. These provisions are part of the current Chapter 232 Park Rules, re-adopted by Commissioners Court Order 2025-09-30, Item 53, effective September 30, 2025, and apply countywide to Travis County park property, distinct from the state-level prohibition on using a drone to capture images of private property without consent.