Hesperia, CA Drone Rules: Recreational Drones (2026)

The Hesperia Municipal Code (hosted on Municode Library, current edition) contains no Title or Chapter regulating unmanned aircraft systems, and federal law (49 U.S.C. §44809) preempts most local airspace rules. Recreational operators must: (1) fly only for recreation; (2) follow a community-based organization's safety guidelines (e.g., AMA); (3) keep the drone within visual line of sight; (4) yield right-of-way to manned aircraft; (5) stay at or below 400 ft AGL in uncontrolled (Class G) airspace; (6) obtain LAANC authorization in controlled airspace; (7) pass the FAA TRUST test and carry proof; and (8) register any drone weighing 0.55 lb (250 g) or more with the FAA, marking the registration number on the airframe (14 CFR §48.100). Hesperia sits in the High Desert at ~3,200 ft elevation; most of the city is in Class G uncontrolled airspace, but the Class E surface area around Apple Valley Airport (APV) just east of Hesperia drops to ground level and triggers LAANC. The Southern California Logistics Airport (KVCV) in Victorville (Class D when tower is open) and the San Bernardino National Forest WUI east of the city are additional considerations. California Civil Code §1708.8 imposes civil liability — and treble plus punitive damages — for knowingly entering airspace above another person's land to capture private images or sound (the 'paparazzi' aerial privacy statute).