Tuolumne County, CA Drone Rules: Recreational Drones (2026)

Recreational Operations. If you want to fly a drone for purely recreational purposes, there is a limited statutory exception ("carve out") that provides a basic set of requirements; this is known as the The Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft (USC 44809) . Recreational Flyers are required to complete The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and carry proof of completion while operating. What is a Recreational Flight? Many people assume that a recreational flight simply means not flying for a business or being compensated; it is not correct to assume this is the single determining factor. Compensation, or the lack of it, is not what determines if a flight was recreational or not. Before you fly your drone, you need to know which regulations apply to your flight. Non-Recreational UAS Operations. The default regulation for drones weighing under 55.0 pounds is 14 CFR Part 107 . Almost all non-recreational drone flying is regulated by Part 107; read an overview of Part 107 requirements . Other types of flights, such as complex commercial drone operations, agricultural operations, and drones flown for government purposes (also referred to as Public Aircraft Operations [PAO]) may be flown under waiver to 14 CFR Part 91 (and, as applicable, in combination with other rules). Non-recreational Part 107 operations examples include, but are not limited to: taking photos to help sell a property or service, roof inspections, and taking pictures of a high school football game for the school's website. Goodwill can also be considered non-recreational. This would include things like volunteering to use your drone to survey coastlines on behalf of a non-profit organization. Non-recreational Part 91 operations examples include, but are not limited to: commercial BVLOS package delivery, agricultural spraying, law enforcement event monitoring, and wildfire response support. When in doubt, assume Part 107. If you’re not sure which rules apply to your flight, assume you are flying under the Part 107 rule and ensure you meet all requirements of this rule . Recreational UAS Operations. Congress created the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft to allow those flying drones purely for fun or personal enjoyment to operate without