Oconee County, SC Drone Rules: Park Drone Restrictions (2026)

Section 22-115(8) lists unmanned flying aircraft, described as drones, unmanned aircraft systems, remote controlled model aircraft, and the like, among a group of aviation devices, alongside airplanes, ultralight aircraft, balloons and parachutes, that are generally prohibited from taking off, landing, or operating on or within county parks and recreation areas. The subsection allows a narrow exception: in some limited circumstances, these devices may be operated within areas the county has specifically designated, but only after the operator obtains a special activity permit; the code does not spell out the permit process in this section, leaving it to the parks, recreation and tourism department's implementing rules under Sec.

22-111. The rule sits among two dozen other prohibited acts in article IV, adopted in the current park-rules chapter by Ordinance No. 2019-07 on February 19, 2019 and amended by Ordinance No. 2025-25 on January 20, 2026. Section 22-112 allows park officials or law enforcement to direct anyone violating a park rule, including the drone ban, to leave; refusal is a trespass, and the director can issue a written trespass notice for repeat violations, appealable to county council. Section 22-113 makes any article IV violation a misdemeanor punished under Sec. 1-7 of the county code.