Sioux Falls, SD Drone Rules: Park Drone Restrictions (2026)

Sioux Falls Code Chapter 95 (Parks and Recreation) governs conduct in city parks but does not at present include a standalone drone prohibition. The City of Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation Department's posted park rules and Sioux Falls Police Department UAS program guidance instead route recreational flyers to FAA Recreational Flyer rules and the SDCL 50-15 framework. By contrast, the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) issued a Drone Policy dated December 17, 2018, prohibiting takeoff, landing, or operation of a UAS within any state park, state recreation area, or lakeside use area unless the operator obtains a Special Use Permit from the park manager. That GFP policy applies to Good Earth State Park at Blood Run (the closest SD state park to Sioux Falls, on the Iowa-SD border about 6 miles southeast of downtown), Newton Hills State Park (~20 miles south near Canton), and Lake Vermillion Recreation Area. The federal National Park Service ban on drone takeoff/landing (36 CFR 1.5) does not directly apply because Sioux Falls is not adjacent to any unit of the National Park System (Wind Cave and Badlands are out west). Falls Park, Tuthill Park, Sertoma Park, and other Sioux Falls city parks: drone use is not categorically prohibited by city ordinance, but operators must (a) hold LAANC authorization since the parks fall inside KFSD's Class D surface area, (b) comply with SDCL 50-15-5 surveillance limits if flying near park-goers, (c) not interfere with park events or special-permit activities under Chapter 95, and (d) avoid disorderly conduct (SDCL 22-18-35). The Sioux Falls Parks Department may restrict UAS operations at specific events or in specific facilities (e.g., the Great Plains Zoo) through special rules.