Scranton, PA Drone Rules: Recreational Drones (2026)

The federal framework controls the substantive rules for recreational drone operation in Scranton. 14 CFR Part 107 (the FAA Small Unmanned Aircraft Rule) governs all commercial and most non-recreational flight: a certificated remote pilot, daylight or civil-twilight operation (with anti-collision lighting for night), under 400 feet AGL within Class G airspace (LAANC required to enter controlled airspace), within visual line of sight, with maximum speed 100 mph, and away from non-participating persons. 49 U.S.C. §44809 (added by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018) carves out limited recreational flight for hobbyist pilots flying within a community-based organization's safety guidelines, but the §44809 carve-out still requires: passage of the FAA TRUST test (Recreational UAS Safety Test), line-of-sight operation, flight under 400 feet AGL, away from manned aircraft and active emergencies, and registration of any drone over 0.55 lb at faa.gov/uas. Inside Scranton three additional layers apply. First, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (KAVP) sits in Pittston Township roughly 12 miles south-southwest of downtown Scranton and operates a Class D control tower with a Class E surface area whose veil extends northward into portions of South Scranton and Minooka; LAANC authorization is required for any drone flight within those veils, and altitude ceilings within the LAANC grid are typically 0 to 400 feet AGL depending on the grid cell's proximity to the airport (cells closest to the airport approach surface are often capped at 0 feet, effectively prohibiting flight without further coordination). Second, Pennsylvania state law adds 18 Pa.C.S. §3505 (Unlawful Use of an Unmanned Aircraft), enacted by Act 78 of 2018, which criminalizes operation of a drone to surveil a person on private property where the operator's view would not otherwise be possible (third-degree misdemeanor) and operation of a drone to harass a person or to deliver contraband to a correctional facility (third-degree felony for contraband). The state statute coexists with the federal floor and is not preempted; the law also preempts most local drone regulation under 18 Pa.C.S. §3505(d), which means Scranton City Council cannot enact a stand-alone municipal drone ordinance that conflicts with the state framework. Third, Scranton parks and city-managed public spaces are administered by the Department of Public Works and Parks, which may include posted no-drone areas at specific facilities (notably Nay Aug Park near the Everhart Museum, McDade Park area, and organized-event sites) under the Department's general park-rules authority. Operators should always check faa.gov/uas for current Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) before flying.