Waukesha County, WI Drone Rules: Recreational Drones (2026)

" The rule originated in the county's 1956 parks ordinance covering manned aircraft, gliders and parachute landings, and Enrolled Ordinance 171-7 amended it effective June 10, 2016 to add drones by name, closing the gap left when consumer drones became common in the county's park system. The FAA controls the airspace itself, but Section 14-161 works at the level the county actually controls: use of park land as a launch or landing site. A pilot does not need county sign-off to fly a drone over county land from outside park boundaries, but touching down or taking off from inside a park triggers the permit requirement regardless of FAA rules.

The permit is issued in writing by the Department of Parks and Land Use, the same office that issues Facility Use and Special Event Permits under Section 14-141, and the Director may revoke it. Violations of Section 14-161 fall under Section 14-140's general parks penalty: a forfeiture of not less than $10 nor more than $600 per offense plus costs, with up to 90 days in the county jail if the forfeiture goes unpaid. Employees designated under Section 13-101 can issue citations directly, and county or municipal law enforcement may arrest a violator without a warrant while on park property.