Montebello, CA Drone Rules: Park Drone Restrictions (2026)

Section 12.24.190 of the Montebello Municipal Code prohibits operating any drone, model airplane, toy airplane, miniature airplane or similar unmanned aircraft, self-propelled and remotely controlled without direct human intervention aboard, at any public park, except at a location the department director has approved or designated for that purpose. Because Section 12.24.020 defines 'public park' to include athletic fields, tennis and pickleball courts, splash pads, skate parks, dog parks, the municipal golf course, swimming pools, recreation centers, playgrounds, pavilions, medians and park parking lots, the drone rule reaches essentially every recreation and community services property in the city, not just open green space.

The chapter's 2024 rewrite under Ordinance No. 2471 kept the same operative language as the 1993 original codified at prior code Section 4304(s), simply renumbering it into the current chapter. City employees acting within the scope of their duties are exempt under Section 12.24.010. Enforcement runs through Section 12.24.290: Montebello police officers, the code enforcement division, and parks and recreation department staff including the director and parks and recreation manager may enforce any posted rule or chapter violation and issue citations for it. A first response can be a verbal warning; the department can also evict a flier immediately for the rest of that day's park hours, or suspend park privileges for one or more days depending on how serious the violation is, with criminal citation still available under state or federal law on top of those administrative steps.