Drone Laws by State

Federal FAA rules apply everywhere. States add their own rules on privacy, trespass and critical infrastructure.

Two sets of rules govern every flight

Federal (FAA)

Whether and where you may fly

Registration, Remote ID, the TRUST test, altitude limits, visual line of sight and airspace authorization are all federal. No state or city can override them.

State and local

How you may behave while flying

States regulate privacy and surveillance, trespass, harassment, critical infrastructure, prisons and stadium buffers, and where you may launch and land on public land.

The other question that decides how much homework you need to do is preemption. In a preemption state, only the legislature may write drone rules, so cities cannot add their own ordinances. Where there is no preemption, city and county rules stack on top of state and federal law.

State drone law changes every year

State legislatures amend drone statutes in almost every session. Last verified August 2026 — confirm the current position with the relevant state legislature and faa.gov before you rely on these pages.

Statewide preemption (11)

Local governments may not adopt their own drone ordinances.

Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas

No preemption (3)

Local ordinances apply alongside state and federal law.

California, Colorado, New York

All 50 states

Pick your state for the federal baseline, state statutes, preemption status and penalties.

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