Pitt County, NC Drone Rules: Park Drone Restrictions (2026)

Section 2(A)(7) of the Pitt County Cultural Arts & Recreation Parks & Facilities Ordinance, adopted January 13, 2025, sets a two-part authorization requirement before anyone may operate a drone or other unmanned aircraft system on property the department manages: Alice F. Keene District Park, the Pitt County Office Park Recreation Complex, and Lake Glenwood Park. An operator needs both a proper permit and the personal consent of the County Manager; the ordinance does not describe the permit as available on-site or through the park office, so it functions as a case-by-case approval rather than a standing recreational allowance.

The drone clause sits among other item-2 restrictions that similarly protect wildlife and other park users, including bans on launching or landing kayaks and canoes outside designated areas, entering water features, and destroying, hunting, feeding, or removing flora and fauna. No comparable drone clause appears in the county's separate Indoor Facility Ordinance for the community centers, so the permit-and-consent requirement is specific to the three outdoor park properties. Section 5 puts enforcement in the hands of the Cultural Arts & Recreation Director and any park staff, who can eject from the park any person operating a drone without the required permit and County Manager consent, the same authority used against the ordinance's other listed violations.