Wicomico County, MD Drone Rules: Park Drone Restrictions (2026)

F, part of the rewritten Chapter 179 adopted July 2, 2024 by Bill No. ' It requires that flying of drones or other unmanned vehicles in a county park follow Federal Aviation Administration guidelines as well as local, state or federal laws, meaning FAA rules on registration, altitude and no-fly zones apply on top of anything the county adds. The same subsection extends parallel restrictions to other aircraft used in parks: powered model airplanes or rockets may not be flown over or launched from any park except in areas designated for that purpose or under a permit, and airplanes, helium hot air balloons, hang gliders, parachutes, ultra-light planes or any other person-operated aircraft may not be flown or launched from park property except from designated areas or by permit.

Permits for these activities are issued by the Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism under the chapter's general permit authority in § 179-11. The drone rule sits among a broader list of park-use restrictions in § 179-3, including hours of sunset-to-sunrise closure, bans on unpermitted commercial activity, firearms restrictions except for permitted carriers, and rules on fires, fishing and wildlife, all enforced the same way. Violations of any part of Chapter 179, including the aeronautical-activities rule, are civil infractions under § 179-13, and citations can be issued under § 179-14 by the Sheriff, a Deputy Sheriff, a Governor-commissioned special police officer assigned to county park property, or any person the County Council designates by resolution to enforce the chapter.