Do I need an FAA license to fly drones commercially in Louisiana?

Yes. Any drone flight in furtherance of a business, including paid photography or real estate marketing, requires an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate and aircraft registration.

Can Louisiana cities require local drone permits for commercial work?

Cities cannot regulate airspace or require permits for flight itself, but they may regulate takeoff and landing on city-owned property and require business licenses for drone service providers.

Louisiana Commercial Drones Law: Statewide Drone Rules Rules (2026)

Key Facts

Federal rule: FAA Part 107
State statutes: R.S. 14:283.3, 14:337
Pilot certificate: Required
Critical infrastructure: Surveillance prohibited
Local airspace rules: Preempted

Full Breakdown

Federal law preempts airspace operation, so commercial pilots flying for any business purpose must hold a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, register the aircraft with the FAA, follow Part 107 limits (400 feet AGL, daylight or anti-collision-lit night operations, visual line of sight), and obtain waivers for operations over people or beyond visual line of sight. Louisiana adds two state crimes: R.S. 14:337 prohibits surveillance of critical infrastructure such as petrochemical, electric, water, and pipeline facilities, and R.S. 14:283.3 prohibits drone capture of images on private property where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy. Local governments cannot impose airspace restrictions but may regulate ground-based takeoff/landing from public property.

Violations & Penalties

Operating commercially without Part 107 certification, violating critical-infrastructure surveillance under R.S. 14:337, or breaching privacy under R.S. 14:283.3 can trigger FAA civil penalties and Louisiana criminal fines and imprisonment.

Louisiana Commercial Drone Operations Under FAA Part 107

Key Facts

Full Breakdown

Violations & Penalties

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

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