Riverside has no city-wide recreational drone ordinance — recreational pilots follow FAA 49 USC 44809 and California state law. The Riverside Municipal Code does, however, ban model airplane and model rocket flying inside any city park unless in a designated area.
Recreational flying is governed primarily by federal law (FAA Recreational Exception, 49 U.S.C. § 44809), which requires registration of drones over 0.55 lb (250 g), flight below 400 ft in uncontrolled airspace, line-of-sight operation, no flying over people, and completion of TRUST. California Civil Code § 1708.8 also adds drone-specific privacy/trespass liability for capturing images of people on private property without consent. Within Riverside city limits, the only on-the-books local restriction is Riverside Municipal Code (RMC) § 9.08.090, which prohibits 'model airplane flying, model rockets, driving of golf balls, archery, or any game of a hazardous nature within a park, except at such place as shall be especially set apart and authorized for such purpose.' Hobby drones fall under model airplane in this section's enforcement, so park takeoff/landing is effectively banned outside designated areas. Flights over Riverside Municipal Airport (KRAL) controlled airspace require LAANC authorization through the FAA B4UFLY app.
Park violations under RMC § 9.08.090 are infractions; the chapter is enforced via Riverside Police and Park Rangers, with citations issued under the general penalty in RMC § 1.16. Federal FAA violations can carry civil penalties of up to $75,000 for unsafe operations and criminal penalties up to $250,000 plus three years imprisonment. Civil Code § 1708.8 privacy violations create civil liability for actual damages, plus up to three times actual damages and disgorgement of profits.
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