Tustin, CA Drone Rules: Recreational Drones (2026)

Section 4960 states the purpose behind Tustin's drone chapter in blunt terms: community-based safety rules are needed because UAS "can at times pose a hazard to full-scale aircraft in flight and to persons and property on the ground," but the City wrote the chapter so its restrictions "do not preempt federal aviation rules or authority, or state law." For a recreational flyer, that means FAA hobbyist requirements sit on top of, not instead of, Tustin's own rules. Section 4961 defines visual line of sight strictly: the operator must use natural or corrected vision, cannot substitute another spotter for personal observation, and cannot count first-person-view goggles or vision-magnifying devices as line of sight.

Section 4962 turns that definition into a hard rule, banning takeoff or landing outside visual line of sight and within twenty-five feet of anyone but the operator or a designee. The same section bars landing on private property without the owner's written or electronic consent in hand, bans any weapon attachment, and Section 4963 separately bans reckless operation that creates a substantial risk of injury or property damage. Section 4965 exempts only UAS under 0.55 pounds and government-operated Public UAS, so most consumer camera drones remain fully covered. A violation is a misdemeanor under Section 4667, carrying up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in county jail, or both.