Riverside, CA Drone Rules: Park Drone Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- RMC § 9.08.090
- Prohibits
- Drones, model aircraft, model rockets in parks
- Exception
- Only specially designated, authorized areas
- Enforcement
- Park Rangers under RMC § 1.01.115(B)(4)
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor or infraction under § 1.01.110
- Added drone language
- Ord. 7362 § 2, 2017
Summary
RMC § 9.08.090 bars flying drones or model aircraft anywhere in a Riverside city park except at a spot the Parks Director has specially set apart and authorized for that purpose. The same sentence also covers model rockets, golf-ball driving, archery, and other hazardous games.
No person shall play or engage in model airplane flying, drones, unmanned aircraft systems, model rockets, driving of golf balls, archery, or any game of a hazardous nature within a park, except at such place as shall be especially set apart and authorized for such purpose.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
" The text names drones and unmanned aircraft systems specifically, alongside older hazardous-recreation categories the section was already regulating before it was amended by Ord. 7362 § 2 in 2017 to add the drone language. 115(B)(4) designates City Park Rangers as the employees "charged with the enforcement of ... 08" on City property, giving the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department its own citation authority rather than relying solely on police patrols. 110, a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and/or six months in County jail, though the City Attorney can instead charge it as an infraction capped at $250.
The ordinance leaves the designation of any exempt flying area to the Parks Director's discretion; the text itself does not name specific parks or fields where drone flying is authorized, so operators need to confirm with the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department before launching in any given park.
Violations & Fines
Flying a drone or other unmanned aircraft system in a Riverside city park outside a specially authorized area violates § 9.08.090 and is enforceable by Park Rangers under § 1.01.115(B)(4). A citation is prosecuted under the Code's general penalty section, § 1.01.110, as a misdemeanor (up to $1,000 fine, up to six months jail) or, at the City Attorney's discretion, as an infraction (up to $250).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fly a recreational drone in a Riverside park?
Who enforces the drone ban in Riverside parks?
What's the penalty for flying a drone in an unauthorized park area?
Does the ban apply to model airplanes and rockets too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside to another location·View the California drone rules overview
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