Drone laws: which federal drone regulations and state drone laws apply
Two rulebooks cover every drone flight in the U.S. Which one is yours depends on why you fly, not on the drone.
- Height limit
- 400ft
- Register over
- 0.55lb (249 g)
- Registration
- $5/ 3 yr
- Part 107 test
- ~$175
Federal drone laws: what governs drone flight in the U.S.
Why you fly picks your rulebook. Pick one: the whole site, this page included, then shows the rules for that answer.
“For work” is wider than it sounds
Any flight for pay, for a business, or to make content that earns money falls under Part 107, even if nobody pays you for that flight. The FAA’s advice when you are not sure: assume Part 107.
The exact rule
Strictly for fun: the exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft, 49 U.S.C. 44809. Meet all eight of its conditions and you need no FAA certificate. Among them: keep the drone within visual line of sight, give way to crewed aircraft, get prior authorization in controlled airspace, stay at or below 400 feet in uncontrolled (Class G) airspace, pass TRUST and register the drone when the rules ask for it.
Every other flight, paid or not: a small drone, under 55 pounds at takeoff, flies under 14 CFR part 107, and its pilot in command needs the FAA remote pilot certificate. The FAA’s advice for an unclear case: “When in doubt, assume Part 107.”
49 U.S.C. 44809(a); 14 CFR part 107; FAA AC 91-57DPolice, schools, clubs?
A law enforcement agency, a public safety agency or another government agency flies under Part 107, or as a public aircraft operation with a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA). Schools, clubs, flyers under 16 and videos for a channel that earns money are in the drone license guide, case by case.
Drone license guideWhere the two rulebooks come from
Two federal rulebooks cover every drone flight in the U.S.: fly strictly for fun within the eight conditions of 49 U.S.C. 44809, with the free TRUST test, or fly under Part 107 with the FAA remote pilot certificate. Both set the basics below: when to register, Remote ID, authorization near airports and the 400-foot ceiling; state drone laws add privacy, trespass and takeoff rules on top.
Federal law gives the U.S. Government exclusive sovereignty of the nation’s airspace and treats drones as aircraft, so the FAA writes the flight rules for every state (49 U.S.C. 40103; flying over private property). Which FAA rulebook covers a flight depends on why you fly, not on the drone and not on the money.
Before you fly legally: the federal baseline that applies everywhere
Five things, in the order you meet them, flying for fun.
Five things, in the order you meet them, flying under Part 107.
-
TRUST test Practice test
Pass TRUST
Get your pilot certificate
FreeAbout $175A free online safety test. Keep the certificate with you and show it if the FAA or police ask.
Be 16 or older, pass the FAA knowledge test (about $175), and keep your remote pilot certificate current with free online training every 24 months.
The exact rule
A recreational flyer passes TRUST, the FAA’s free Recreational UAS Safety Test, online at an FAA-approved test administrator, and shows the certificate when the FAA or law enforcement asks (TRUST certificate). A Part 107 pilot holds the remote pilot certificate instead.
49 U.S.C. 44809(a)(7); 14 CFR 107.61 -
Do I have to register?
Register it if it’s over 0.55 lb
Register every drone
$5 for 3 years$5 per drone$5 on FAADroneZone, good for 3 years, and one number covers all your drones. A drone of 0.55 lb (249 g) or less, flown only for fun, needs none.
$5 per drone on FAADroneZone, good for 3 years, whatever the drone weighs.
The exact rule
The aircraft is operated exclusively in compliance with 49 U.S.C. 44809 and weighs 0.55 pounds or less on takeoff, including everything that is on board or otherwise attached to the aircraft
14 CFR 48.15(b), the only way to skip registrationUnder 14 CFR 48.15 a drone over 0.55 lb (249 g) at takeoff is registered in FAADroneZone, and so is any drone flown under Part 107; only a drone of 0.55 lb or less flown only for fun is not. Flown for fun, one $5 registration covers all your drones for three years; under Part 107 each drone is registered, whatever its weight, at $5 for three years (drone license).
-
Is mine compliant?
Broadcast Remote ID
Built in or a moduleEvery registered drone sends out its ID and position as it flies. Many drones have it built in; others need a small broadcast module. The drones by model table lists each one’s weight and Remote ID.
The exact rule
A drone that is registered, or has to be, broadcasts Remote ID: built in, with a broadcast module and in sight, or with neither when operating inside a FRIA, an FAA-recognized identification area (Remote ID). Flown only for fun at 0.55 lb (249 g) or less, a drone needs no registration, so no Remote ID.
14 CFR part 89 -
Check your spot
Ask first near airports
LAANCAround most airports the air is controlled, and you need the FAA’s OK before you take off. A drone app gets it through LAANC, usually right away.
The exact rule
A drone needs FAA authorization in four places: Class B, Class C, Class D and the surface area of Class E designated for an airport, for Part 107 pilots and recreational flyers alike (airspace classes). LAANC gives it in drone apps, usually in near-real time, up to the altitude on the FAA’s UAS Facility Map (LAANC).
14 CFR 107.41; 49 U.S.C. 44809(a)(5) -
Stay under 400 ft, and keep it in sight
400 ft400 ft above the ground is the top, 400 included. Keep the drone where you, or a friend next to you, can see it.
400 ft above the ground, or up to 400 ft above a structure when you stay within 400 ft of it. You must be able to see the drone yourself.
The exact rule
Up to 400 feet above ground level in uncontrolled airspace, 400 feet included, for recreational flyers and Part 107 pilots alike; a Part 107 pilot may fly higher within 400 feet of a structure (how high a drone can fly). Flying for fun: in sight of you or an observer next to you. Part 107: no higher than 400 ft above the ground, unless within 400 ft of a structure and no higher than 400 ft above its top.
49 U.S.C. 44809(a)(3) and (a)(6); 14 CFR 107.31 and 107.51(b)
Places where drone laws stop any flight
These sit on top of the airspace rules. An OK from LAANC does not lift them.
City and state parks
The park decides where you may take off and land. Read its posted rules or ask the park office.
Temporary no-fly zones
Over wildfires, VIP visits, space launches and disasters. They appear at short notice, so check on the day.
Stadiums on game day
Around big stadiums during major league games and large events the FAA lists.
National parks
No taking off, landing or flying from park land or water without the superintendent’s written OK.
Security areas
Some military bases, other federal sites and landmarks. The FAA bans drones over them outright.
Check your spot
“Can I fly here?” reads temporary no-fly zones, stadium events and national park areas live, for the place and the hour you pick.
Can I fly here?Where these come from
Some places stop a flight whatever the rulebook. Temporary flight restrictions, national security areas where 14 CFR 99.7 prohibits flight and stadiums during the major events the FAA lists sit on top of the airspace classes, and a LAANC authorization does not lift them. Every national park prohibits launching, landing or operating a drone on its land and water except as approved in writing by the superintendent (36 CFR 1.5; national parks).
Temporary flight restrictions: FAA notices. Stadiums: no flying a drone within 3 nautical miles from one hour before to one hour after the major league games and other events the FAA lists. Security areas: 14 CFR 99.7. National parks: 36 CFR 1.5. City and state parks: the park’s own rules.
Commercial drone work: Part 107 and the remote pilot certificate
Paid jobs, flights for a business, videos for a channel that earns: all Part 107.
- You
16 or older, and able to read, speak, write and understand English.
The exact rule
The pilot: at least 16 to hold the certificate, able to read, speak, write and understand English, and through the FAA’s knowledge test, about $175 paid to PSI.
14 CFR 107.61 - The test
About $175, at a PSI test center. The TSA checks every applicant before the certificate is issued.
- The drone
Registered, whatever it weighs, so it broadcasts Remote ID too.
The exact rule
Every drone flown under Part 107 is registered, whatever it weighs, so the Remote ID rule reaches it.
14 CFR 48.15; 14 CFR part 89 - Every 2 years
Free online training keeps you current. The certificate itself never expires.
The exact rule
The certificate does not expire, but you act as remote pilot in command only within 24 calendar months of the test or of the FAA’s free online recurrent training.
14 CFR 107.65 - In the air
Nothing reckless, and not over people unless the drone fits one of the FAA’s four categories.
The exact rule
No careless or reckless drone operation that endangers the life or property of another, and no flight over people outside the four categories of 14 CFR 107.39.
14 CFR 107.23, 107.39
A flight for compensation, “monetary or otherwise”, or in furtherance of a business is not recreational: commercial drone work is a Part 107 flight. The drone license guide has each step. Pages for one job each, such as drone deer recovery, are in drones for work.
Ready for the test?
60 questions in two hours, like the FAA exam, every answer explained.
Take the practice testState-level drone laws and local ordinances
The FAA’s rules are the same everywhere. States add laws on privacy, trespass and where you may take off.
- Privacy law
- 19
- Trespass law
- 10
- Both
- 3
- Only near critical sites
- 7
- No drone law on private land; general laws apply
- 12
Of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., 10 have a drone trespass or overflight statute, 19 a drone surveillance or privacy statute and 3 both; 7 reach drones only at critical facilities, and 12 rely on general laws alone. In 17, state law limits local drone rules.
A state or city may not set
In the FAA’s view: height limits, flight paths, pilot licenses, or a ban on drones over a whole city.
A state or city may set
Privacy, peeping and trespass laws, and where you take off, land and stand. That is why a city park can ban takeoffs.
The FAA’s fact sheet, state examples and parks
The FAA and the Department of Transportation set out their view in a fact sheet of July 14, 2023. The FAA alone regulates aviation safety and the efficient use of the airspace, and state or local rules in those fields are preempted. Outside them, states may generally regulate, even with laws aimed at drones, as long as those laws do not conflict with FAA rules.
- Likely preempted, in the FAA’s view: state or local rules on drone altitude or flight paths set for safety, drone traffic control, drone “highways”, pilot licensing and training, and equipment such as geofencing; also a privacy-based ban on drones over a whole city.
- Generally not preempted: laws on privacy, voyeurism, harassment, trespass, land use and zoning, reckless endangerment, photos of particular facilities, police warrants for drone surveillance and hunting harassment; rules on where drones take off and land and where the pilot may stand.
The 50-state table names each state’s law, what it covers and the day it was read. Your state’s drone laws, on every topic from privacy and prisons to hunting and police drones, are in one table with how much of each state’s code was read.
Two examples from that table: in Texas, Government Code 423.003 makes it a Class C misdemeanor to use a drone to capture an image of a person or privately owned real property with intent to conduct surveillance; in Arkansas, using a drone to capture images of a person or private property to surveil them is a crime. Texas law creates no drone pilot license, and its Penal Code 42.15 makes it an offense to fly over an airport and certain other facilities, with a defense for FAA authorization. North Carolina’s General Statute 63-96 was repealed effective December 1, 2024 (drone license).
State parks are the state’s rule, not a federal one: look in the state park agency’s regulations or ask the park office. For local drone laws, such as a city park’s, check its posted rules, ask the city’s parks and recreation department or read the city’s code; the fact sheet counts where drones take off and land among the things local governments may decide.
Who enforces drone laws, and the penalties
The FAA fines; police and park rangers enforce on the ground.
Most the FAA can fine you or a small business, per violation.
Most per violation for a company that is not a small business.
In jail, plus up to $5,000, for breaking a national park’s ban.
In prison for shooting down a drone, even over your own yard.
Where these come from
The FAA: federal rules are enforced by the FAA, with civil penalties under 49 U.S.C. 46301. Today the most is $75,000 per violation for a company that is not a small business and $17,062 for an individual or a small business (14 CFR 13.301), and the FAA can suspend or revoke a pilot certificate (drone license).
Police: the FAA cannot hand its enforcement powers to states or cities; it relies on local police to detect and investigate unsafe drone flights. The FAA, the NTSB, the TSA or any federal, state or local law enforcement officer may ask to see a Part 107 pilot’s certificate and ID.
Parks: breaking a national park’s closure is a misdemeanor, with up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine; rangers judge each case (national parks).
People on the ground: shooting down a drone is a federal crime with up to 20 years in prison (18 U.S.C. 32), and using a jammer is illegal even on your own property. Report a drone used for peeping, harassment or trespass to local police first (private property).
Drone laws by topic: every guide, with the day it was checked
Fourteen guides, each checked against its documents on November 13 or 14, 2026.
Where and how high
Every guide, with the question it answers
One row per guide, in the order a new pilot meets them. Type a word to narrow the table; it searches the question too.
| Guide | The question it answers | Last checked |
|---|---|---|
| Drone license | Do I need an FAA license, and how do I get the Part 107 certificate? | |
| Part 107 study guide | What is on the Part 107 test, and which FAA documents cover it? | |
| Part 107 exam | How do I book the Part 107 test, what does it cost, and what happens on test day? | |
| Part 107 renewal | How do I keep my Part 107 certificate current every 24 months? | |
| TRUST certificate | What is the free test every recreational flyer must pass? | |
| Remote ID | Must my drone broadcast Remote ID, and how can it comply? | |
| Airspace classes | Where does a drone need FAA authorization to fly? | |
| LAANC | How do I get that authorization near an airport? | |
| Altitude limits | How high can a drone fly, by law and physically? | |
| Flying at night | Can I fly a drone at night, under Part 107 or for fun? | |
| Private property and state laws | Can I fly over private property, and what does my state add? | |
| Drone laws by state | Which drone laws does my state add, and how much of its code was read? | |
| National parks and federal lands | Can I fly a drone in a national park? | |
| DJI ban | Can I still buy and fly a DJI drone in the U.S.? |
Tools for the same questions: Can I fly here?, the Part 107 practice test, the drone weather forecast, drones by model: weight and Remote ID, drones for work and all drone tools.
Drone laws: questions and answers
Do I need to register my drone?
Yes, unless it weighs 0.55 lb (249 g) or less at takeoff and you fly it only for fun. Under Part 107 every drone is registered, whatever it weighs. Registration is $5 for three years, in FAADroneZone, at 13 or older.
Will the FAA know if I fly my drone?
A drone with Remote ID broadcasts its serial number or a session ID with its position, and the position of its pilot or take-off point, which phones nearby can receive. No member of the public can reach the FAA’s database that links it to a person; the FAA can share that match with authorized law enforcement on request. The Remote ID guide lists what is sent.
Can I legally shoot a drone flying over my property?
No. Willfully damaging, destroying or disabling an aircraft is a federal crime with up to 20 years in prison (18 U.S.C. 32), and federal agencies say that law covers drones. Jamming and lasers break federal law too. Call local police if a drone is used for peeping, harassment or trespass.
Do drone laws differ by state?
The FAA’s rules are the same in every state. What differs is state law on privacy, trespass, critical facilities and local rules: the 50-state table gives each state’s law with the day it was read.
What are the requirements to get a drone license in the U.S.?
Flying only for fun needs no license: pass TRUST. For any other flight, the Part 107 remote pilot certificate: be at least 16 to hold it, read, speak, write and understand English, and pass the FAA’s knowledge test, about $175; the TSA vets every applicant before a temporary certificate is issued.
Is there a separate state drone license?
Not in Texas: its drone chapter creates none, and a Part 107 flight needs the FAA certificate in every state. In North Carolina, General Statute 63-96 was repealed effective December 1, 2024. We checked those two states, not every state.
Can I fly a drone in a national park or a state park?
Not from national park land or water without the superintendent’s written approval, and permits for flying for fun are not approved, except at model aircraft airstrips a park names. A state park is the state’s rule: check the state park agency’s regulations or ask the park office.
Sources Named, not linked. Each guide dates its own.
This page sums up our guides: every rule on it names its section and links to the guide that quotes it, where the documents are named and dated. Documents are named, not linked. Each fact on this page comes from the guide it links to, where the same document is quoted and dated; the guides table gives the day each guide was last checked.
Federal law
- 49 U.S.C. 40102 and 40103: aircraft and navigable airspace defined; sovereignty and the public right of transit
- 49 U.S.C. 44809, Exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft
- 49 U.S.C. 46301: civil penalties
- 18 U.S.C. 32: destruction of aircraft
Regulations
- 14 CFR part 107, sections 107.1, 107.23, 107.31, 107.39, 107.41, 107.51, 107.61 and 107.65
- 14 CFR 48.15: registration; 14 CFR part 89: Remote ID
- 14 CFR 13.301: inflation-adjusted civil penalties; 14 CFR 99.7: special security instructions
- 36 CFR 1.5: closures in national parks
FAA
- FAA and DOT fact sheet, State and Local Regulation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (July 14, 2023)
- FAA Advisory Circular 91-57D, Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft (June 24, 2025)
- FAA “Recreational Flyers & Community-Based Organizations” and “Become a Certificated Remote Pilot”
- FAA “Stadiums and Sporting Events” and “Temporary Flight Restrictions”
States and parks
- Texas Government Code chapter 423, Use of Unmanned Aircraft; Texas Penal Code 42.15; North Carolina General Statute 63-96 (repealed)
- The statute or code named in each state’s row of the 50-state table
- National Park Service “Uncrewed Aircraft in the National Parks”