Recreational Drones
Drone Rules
Local rules for flying drones as a hobby, including where you can fly, altitude limits, and restrictions near parks and public events.
How Recreational Drones Rules Differ by Place
Richmond, CA: Drones: Privacy
Heavy RestrictionsCalifornia Civil Code Ā§1708.8 (the anti-paparazzi statute) creates physical and constructive invasion of privacy claims against drone operators who capture images of people engaged inā¦
Santa Cruz County, CA: Santa Cruz County Drone Ban at Cotoni-Coast Dairies
Heavy RestrictionsUnincorporated Santa Cruz County bans taking off or landing any unmanned aircraft system, drones included, on the Cotoni-Coast Dairies Unit of the California Coastal National Monumentā¦
Coral Gables, FL: Coral Gables Recreational Drone Rules
Heavy RestrictionsFlorida preempts most local drone regulation under the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act, but Coral Gables restricts drone use on city property including parks. Much of Coral Gables fallsā¦
Antioch, CA: Drones: Privacy
Few RestrictionsCalifornia Civil Code Ā§1708.8 creates "constructive invasion of privacy" liability for drones capturing visual or audio of people engaged in private activities. Penal Code Ā§647(j)ā¦
Brentwood, CA: Drones: Privacy
Few RestrictionsCalifornia Civil Code 1708.8 makes it a civil tort to use a drone to capture images or recordings of someone in a private setting. Brentwood also enforces trespass and peeping lawsā¦
Concord, CA: Drones: Privacy
Few RestrictionsDrone-related privacy protections in California arise from Civil Code Ā§1708.8 (physical and constructive invasion of privacy by drone), Penal Code Ā§632 (audio eavesdropping), and Penalā¦
Recreational Drones Rules by State
Statewide law governs this topic in many states. Each entry links to that state's full page.
Delaware
Some RestrictionsDelaware Code Title 11, Section 1334(e) explicitly preempts all local drone regulation. Only the state may prohibit, restrict, or regulate operation of unmanned aircraft systemsā¦
Florida
Some RestrictionsFlorida expressly preempts local regulation of drones, reserving authority to the state and federal government, with limited surveillance and trespass exceptions.
Georgia
Some RestrictionsGeorgia law generally reserves authority over the operation of unmanned aircraft systems to the state, limiting cities and counties to property-based and time-place-manner rulesā¦
Idaho
Some RestrictionsIdaho Code 21-213 prohibits using unmanned aircraft systems to conduct surveillance, gather evidence, or photograph specifically targeted persons or private property without writtenā¦
Illinois
Some RestrictionsIllinois preempts local drone regulation through the Freedom from Drone Surveillance Act, establishing uniform privacy rules while federal FAA authority controls airspace operationā¦
Iowa
Some RestrictionsRecreational drone use in Iowa is governed primarily by FAA Part 107 and the Recreational Flyers exception, with state limits in Iowa Code 808.15 on government surveillance. Iowaā¦
Kentucky
Some RestrictionsRecreational drone operation in Kentucky is governed primarily by FAA rules under 14 CFR Part 107 and the Recreational UAS Safety Test, with state criminal statutes addressingā¦
Louisiana
Some RestrictionsRecreational drone flight in Louisiana is governed by FAA Part 107 and the Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST). State law (La. R.S. 14:283.3 and 14:337) adds privacy and surveillanceā¦
Maryland
Some RestrictionsMaryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings Section 14-301 expressly preempts local drone regulation, reserving exclusive authority over unmanned aircraft systems to the state and federalā¦
Massachusetts
Significant RestrictionsMassachusetts has no statewide omnibus drone statute, so recreational flying follows federal FAA rules. But across the roughly 450,000 acres the Department of Conservation andā¦
Michigan
Few RestrictionsMichigan Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act (PA 436 of 2016, MCL Ā§259.301ā259.327) creates a comprehensive state framework for drones and preempts local ordinances regulating UAS ownershipā¦
Minnesota
Some RestrictionsMinnesota Statutes Chapter 360 classifies unmanned aircraft as aircraft subject to FAA regulation and state aeronautics rules. The Department of Transportation Office of Aeronauticsā¦
Mississippi
Some RestrictionsMississippi regulates recreational drone use through state criminal statutes on voyeurism and critical-infrastructure surveillance, while federal FAA rules govern airspace. The Peepingā¦
Missouri
Some RestrictionsRecreational drones in Missouri follow FAA rules for registration and airspace, which preempt local flight regulation. Missouri has no drone-specific surveillance statute; using aā¦
Montana
Some RestrictionsFAA rules govern airspace, while Montana law (MCA 45-8-213, 46-5-109) prohibits drone surveillance of private property and protected uses. Local governments cannot regulate flight, butā¦
Nevada
Heavy RestrictionsNevada regulates drones by statute: NRS 493.103 lets a property owner sue for trespass when a drone flies below 250 feet over their land, and NRS 493.109 bars flying within 500 feetā¦
New Hampshire
Some RestrictionsRecreational drone operation in New Hampshire is governed primarily by FAA regulations under 14 CFR Part 107 and Section 44809, with state-level RSA 207:57 prohibiting drone use toā¦
New Jersey
Heavy RestrictionsNew Jersey state law (N.J.S.A. 2C:40-27) sets uniform criminal restrictions on drone operations statewide, including bans on flying impaired, near critical infrastructure, or nearā¦
New Mexico
Some RestrictionsRecreational drone operation in New Mexico is governed primarily by FAA Part 107 and 49 USC 44809, with state laws restricting voyeurism, hunting interference, and use over criticalā¦
North Carolina
Some RestrictionsNorth Carolina General Statute 15A-300.1 and related laws set statewide rules for unmanned aircraft, banning drone surveillance without consent and weaponized drones, while federal lawā¦
Ohio
Light RestrictionsOhio lets you fly a recreational drone as long as you follow the FAA, but Revised Code 4561.51, effective April 9, 2025, adds state teeth: you cannot disrupt police, firefighters, orā¦
Oregon
Some RestrictionsORS 837.300-837.390 govern recreational drone use in Oregon, banning weaponized UAS, restricting flights over critical infrastructure and private property, and largely preempting localā¦
Pennsylvania
Some RestrictionsPennsylvania Act 78 of 2018 (18 Pa.C.S. Section 3505) criminalizes drone surveillance of a private place, menacing operation, and contraband delivery, and preempts most local droneā¦
Rhode Island
Few RestrictionsRecreational drone use in Rhode Island is governed primarily by FAA Part 107 and 49 USC 44809, with state law under RIGL Chapter 1-4 limiting where municipalities can regulate flightā¦
South Carolina
Some RestrictionsSouth Carolina state law restricts recreational drone use over correctional facilities and prohibits drone harassment of hunters and anglers. Federal FAA rules govern airspace, butā¦
South Dakota
Few RestrictionsSouth Dakota does NOT regulate hobby drone flight by altitude, daylight, registration, or operator-age rules at the state level beyond requiring compliance with federal FAA Part 107 /ā¦
Texas
Few RestrictionsTexas Government Code Chapter 423 occupies the field of unmanned aircraft regulation. Cities and counties cannot adopt their own recreational drone ordinances, though limited municipalā¦
Utah
Some RestrictionsUtah expressly preempts local regulation of unmanned aircraft systems, reserving authority to the state and federal governments. Recreational drone operators must follow FAA rules andā¦
Vermont
Some RestrictionsRecreational drone operation in Vermont is governed primarily by FAA regulations, with state law limiting government surveillance use under 20 V.S.A. Section 4622 and providing privacyā¦
Virginia
Few RestrictionsVirginia preempts most local drone regulation, reserving aircraft operation rules to the state and FAA, while criminalizing surveillance overflights and trespass-style use againstā¦
West Virginia
Some RestrictionsRecreational drone flight in West Virginia is governed primarily by FAA rules for recreational flyers, with state criminal limits in W. Va. Code Ā§61-16-2 covering weaponized dronesā¦
Wisconsin
Some RestrictionsWisconsin has a partial drone framework: local governments generally cannot regulate drone flight, but Wis. Stat. 114.045 sets state no-fly zones over prisons, schools, and utilitiesā¦
Wyoming
Light RestrictionsWyoming law declares flying a drone over any land or water in the state lawful by default. It becomes illegal only if flown at an altitude that interferes with the owner's use, in aā¦
Cities & Counties with Recreational Drones Rules
143 locations
Arizona
California
Florida
Other Drone Rules Topics
Commercial Drones
Additional permits and requirements for using drones for business purposes like photography, delivery, or inspections.
Park Drone Restrictions
Bans on launching, landing, or operating drones in city and county parks, with exceptions for designated model-aircraft fields.
Airport Proximity Rules
No-fly zones near commercial airports, FAA controlled-airspace authorization (LAANC), and additional state/local proximity rules.
Event Drone Restrictions
Temporary flight restrictions over stadiums, parades, and major public events, plus the federal sports-stadium TFR rules.