Mercer County, NJ Drone Rules: Park Drone Restrictions (2026)

The Mercer County Park Commission's Restricted Uses and Areas rule reaches every radio controlled aircraft, and the drafters added the phrase including a drone so the decades-old model-aircraft language would cover the newer technology. No advance notice or automatic right exists: a pilot must obtain written permission from the Park Commission before launching, whether the flight is recreational, a hobbyist club outing, or commercial photography over a reserved picnic area or lake. The same paragraph of the Rules sits alongside a matching restriction on metal detectors, which also require authorized written permission, and a broader rule that bars entering any area posted as prohibited.

Because the county's park properties include lake shorelines, nature preserves and areas near the Trenton-Mercer Airport approach paths, the Park Commission screens drone requests on a location-by-location basis rather than issuing a blanket county-wide authorization. A visitor who wants to fly should contact the Park Commission's administrative office in advance rather than assuming permission at the gate; Park Rangers patrol daily from sunrise to sunset, 365 days a year, and can direct an unauthorized flight to stop on the spot. Violations funnel into the same Penalties clause that governs the rest of the Rules and Regulations, and the Commission can bar a repeat operator from future park visits.