Ventura County, CA Drone Rules: Park Drone Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Default rule
- Drones and model aircraft banned in County Parks
- Exception
- County Parks operated by a lessee
- Permit path
- Director special use permit for a specific park
- Permit standard
- Within § 6305-4 Activities parameters
- Fine
- $45 per violation
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 4600, 5-10-2022
Summary
Ventura County Ordinance Code § 6307-9 makes it illegal to operate any model aircraft or drone in any County Park, with an exception only for County Parks operated by a lessee. The Parks Director may authorize a special use permit, at the Director's discretion, allowing operation in a specific park within the activity parameters of Section 6305-4.
No person shall operate any model aircraft or drone, in any County Park except those County Parks operated by a lessee. The Director may authorize a special use permit at his discretion to allow operation in a specific park within the parameters of Section 6305-4, Activities. No person shall operate any remote-controlled car in any County Park in any manner that violates Section 6305-4, Activities.
(Ord. No. 4600, § 1, 5-10-2022)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
The ban is written as a default prohibition: no person may operate a model aircraft or drone in a County Park, regardless of how or where in the park the flight happens. Only County Parks operated by a lessee fall outside the section's reach. For every other county park, the sole lawful path to flying is a special use permit from the Director, and the section makes that call discretionary. The Director may authorize operation in a specific park, and any permitted flying must stay within the parameters of Section 6305-4, the Activities section. A permit therefore covers a named park, not county parks generally. The same section also addresses remote-controlled cars, and it treats them differently: they are not banned outright, but no person may operate a remote-controlled car in any County Park in any manner that violates Section 6305-4. The current section text was adopted by Ordinance No. 4600 on May 10, 2022.
Violations & Fines
Operating a drone or model aircraft in a County Park without a special use permit is a misdemeanor or infraction under § 6301-1, and the fine is $45 per violation under § 6303-7.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fly a drone in a Ventura County park?
Which parks are exempt from the ban?
Are remote-controlled cars banned too?
What does a violation cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura County
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura County to another location·View the California drone rules overview
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