Sun Prairie, WI Drone Rules: Park Drone Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Rule
- No drones/RC planes in city parks
- Exception
- Prior director approval, special circumstances only
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 926, § 1, Sept. 19, 2023
- Applies to
- All city parks, parkways, conservancy areas
- Penalty
- $5-$500 forfeiture, § 1.24.010
Summary
Flying a drone or radio-controlled model airplane in any Sun Prairie city park is prohibited outright. The director of parks, recreation and forestry, or a designee, must approve any exception in advance, and the ban sits alongside similar limits on metal detecting and digging into park turf.
No person shall operate a radio-controlled model airplane or drone in any city park. Operation of radio-controlled model airplanes and drones is permitted only under special circumstances and must be approved by the director of parks, recreation and forestry or their designee.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 71).
Full Breakdown
020 states flatly that no person shall operate a radio-controlled model airplane or drone in any city park. The only way around the ban is prior approval from the director of parks, recreation and forestry or their designee for a special circumstance, something the ordinance leaves to the director's discretion rather than defining by category. 44 (Ord. No. 010(B) separately restricts motorized vehicles to designated roads and parking areas, caps park driving speed at 15 mph unless posted otherwise, and bans snowmobiles outright. 010(A), not just flagship parks.
Anyone wanting to fly a drone for photography, a hobby club event or a mapping project therefore needs to contact the parks, recreation and forestry department before showing up, rather than assuming a quiet corner of a park is fair game.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 12.44 does not set its own fine for a drone violation (the chapter's only stated fine, $25 per pet per incident under § 12.44.080, applies solely to the pet exercise area), so an unauthorized drone flight falls under the city's general penalty, § 1.24.010: a forfeiture of $5 to $500 for a first offense, rising to $20 to $1,000 for a repeat offense within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I fly my drone at a Sun Prairie park?
Is the drone ban new?
What's the fine for flying a drone in a Sun Prairie park without approval?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sun Prairie
Compare Sun Prairie to another location·View the Wisconsin drone rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.