Ada County, ID Drone Rules: Recreational Drones (2026)

Ada County's unmanned aircraft ordinance, section 5-4-10, was adopted in 2018 by Ordinance 883 and states up front that its purpose is not to preempt FAA regulations but to operate alongside them to protect public safety while recognizing the FAA's own enforcement role. The definition in subsection B sweeps broadly, covering any unmanned aircraft system, drone, remotely piloted vehicle or remotely operated aircraft that flies without a human operator aboard, whether autonomous or remotely controlled. Subsection C requires every individual operating a UAS, other than model aircraft, to register with the FAA and hold a remote pilot certificate under 14 CFR part 107 or the FAA's 2012 section 333 rule, and to keep that certificate readily available while flying, a registration duty that reaches hobbyists as well as commercial operators.

The prohibitions in subsection D bar four kinds of conduct regardless of certification: operating in a way that harasses, startles or annoys pedestrians or vehicles or threatens their safety; reckless or careless operation endangering life or property; capturing a person's image, audio, or other physical impression in a place where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy; and interfering with a firefighter or other public safety officer's emergency response. Subsection E carves out exceptions for anyone operating under FAA-granted authority, a certificate of waiver, or a COA, and for law enforcement using a UAS under a warrant or for emergency search and rescue or controlled substance investigations under Idaho Code 21-213(2)(a).

A violation is an infraction carrying a flat $100 fine under subsection F, and subsection G makes any invalid provision severable from the rest of the section.