Recreational drones in Cornelius are preempted by FAA regulations under 14 CFR Part 107 and the federal Recreational UAS rules. Cornelius sits within Charlotte Douglas International Airport's Class B airspace, requiring LAANC authorization for nearly all flights.
Federal preemption prevents Cornelius from regulating drone flight altitude, airspace, or operation. The FAA requires Remote ID on all drones over 0.55 lbs and TRUST certificate completion for all recreational pilots. Because most of the town lies within Class B airspace around Charlotte Douglas (CLT) out to roughly 30 nautical miles, flights at many locations require LAANC authorization through the FAA's B4UFLY or approved apps, even for recreational flight. N.C.G.S. §15A-300.1 prohibits drone surveillance that violates reasonable expectations of privacy. N.C.G.S. §14-280.3 prohibits interfering with manned aircraft, including emergency response helicopters operating around Lake Norman.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Cornelius, NC
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