Chapel Hill, NC Drone Rules: Recreational Drones (2026)

Chapel Hill's drone framework has three layers. (1) Town — In October 2017 the Chapel Hill Town Council unanimously adopted an ordinance that incorporates FAA 14 CFR Part 107 as the local standard for all unmanned aircraft system operations within the Town, including model aircraft. The ordinance authorizes the Chapel Hill Police Department to enforce the federal rules locally. Operationally the Town's published policy is that drones may be operated daylight only, within line of sight of the operator, with height limitations due to the community's airport and helipads (Horace Williams Airport / UNC Hospitals), and may not carry or drop objects, fly over people, or be operated under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Drone operations are prohibited from all Town-owned property without official written permission from the Town Manager or designee, and are likewise prohibited on any public vehicular area, common area for townhomes, apartments, condominiums, or any multi-family property without consent. (2) State — NCGS Article 16B of Chapter 15A governs UAS in North Carolina. NCGS 15A-300.1 makes it unlawful to use a UAS to (a) conduct surveillance of a person or a dwelling and its curtilage without consent, (b) photograph private real property without the owner / lessee / easement-holder's consent, or (c) photograph an individual without consent for publishing — civil damages of $5,000 per photograph or video published in violation. NCGS 15A-300.3 prohibits UAS operation within 500 horizontal feet or 250 vertical feet of confinement / correctional facilities and certain public-power facilities. NCGS 14-401.24 makes attaching a weapon to a UAS a Class E felony. NCGS 15A-300.2 allows a unit of local government to regulate UAS launch / recovery on its own property — which is the statutory authority Chapel Hill relies on for its Town-owned-property prohibition. North Carolina also requires anyone operating a UAS for commercial purposes in NC to obtain an NCDOT-issued UAS Commercial Operator Permit and pass the NC UAS Knowledge Test administered by NCDOT. (3) Federal — the FAA controls U.S. airspace. Commercial operators need a 14 CFR Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Recreational flyers operate under 49 U.S.C. § 44809: VLOS, ≤ 400 ft AGL, drone registration if over 0.55 lbs, Remote ID broadcast, passing TRUST safety test. Chapel Hill is near Horace Williams Airport and UNC Hospitals helipads — LAANC authorization is required to fly inside controlled airspace shelves; the FAA B4UFLY app shows current airspace status by address. UNC Police separately controls drone flights on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus under its own approval process.