Federal UAS Laws & Guidance

All UAS and drones over 0.55 LBS must be registered with the FAA and properly labeled before flight

The following federal laws and guidelines are provided for operators of UAS:

Operate UAS within visual sight at all times

Contact the airport or air traffic control tower if within 5 miles of an airport

Operate UAS no higher than 400 feet and remain below surrounding obstacles

Do not fly in adverse weather conditions such as high winds or reduced visibility

Never fly near emergency response efforts

Never Fly over stadiums or sporting events
Flying UAS in and around stadiums is prohibited starting one hour before and ending one hour after the scheduled time of any of the following events:

  • Major League Baseball
  • Major League Football
  • NCAA Division One Football
  • Nascar Sprint Cup, Indy Car, and Champ Series races

Specifically, UAS operations are prohibited within a radius of three nautical miles of the stadium or venue.

Further information is available in this handout on sports TFRs (PDF).

Do not fly under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Must remain clear, and yield to all manned aircraft operations

Do not fly near or over sensitive infrastructures (e.g., power stations, correctional facilities)

Do not fly a UAS if it has not been registered properly labeled

Do not fly over people

Do not fly in national parks

In addition to FAA Regulations, Individual States may also regulate Drones and UAS

Read more about individual state regulations