Thornton, CO Drone Rules: Recreational Drones (2026)

Thornton's Section 38-358, adopted by Ordinance No. 3521 on April 9, 2019, regulates unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), defined broadly to include devices commonly known as drones that fly without direct human intervention onboard. Because the FAA controls national airspace, the city cannot ban recreational flying outright, so the ordinance instead layers local conduct rules onto any UAS operation within city limits. It is unlawful to fly carelessly, without due regard for the risk of injury or property damage; a Thornton court weighing whether a flight was careless must consider FAA Advisory Circular 91-57(A), safety standards published by groups such as the Academy of Model Aeronautics, and whether the operator kept the UAS within line-of-sight of themselves or a communicating visual observer.

Reckless operation, meaning flying while intentionally disregarding a substantial risk of injury, is a separate violation, and so is using a UAS to observe, photograph, or record a person in a place where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Harassment is addressed directly: buzzing or hovering within 15 feet of anyone who has not consented is prohibited, as is launching or landing within 25 feet of any person, pedestrian, bicyclist, motorist, livestock, companion animal, or wildlife not part of the flight. Interfering with a police officer or firefighter performing duties, or with any governmental emergency operation, is banned as well.

The police and fire departments are themselves exempt from the privacy-observation ban when acting in their official law-enforcement, firefighting, investigatory or public-safety capacities, so long as the exemption is otherwise permitted by law.