Drone Laws Overview
Navigating U.S. drone laws means confronting a complex patchwork of federal requirements and wildly varying local rules. Pilots often juggle FAA airspace limits alongside dozens of city- and county-level ordinances on launch sites, noise, privacy, and more—making legal compliance a continual challenge.
The Challenge of a Patchwork Landscape
Navigating hundreds of local drone laws can overwhelm hobbyists and commercial operators alike, raising the risk of inadvertent violations and stifling innovation. Businesses that operate across county or city lines face extra burden in tracking ever‐changing local rules on noise abatement, privacy buffer zones, and permitted launch sites. Even state governments sometimes contradict one another on UAS statutes, adding another layer of complexity for cross‐state drone missions.
How FPV Fish Aims to Solve the Problem
FPV Fish is building a comprehensive, location-based database of drone-related laws that lets you search by state, county, or city to see all applicable federal, state, and local rules in one place. Our goal is to replace hours of legal research with a few clicks so you can focus on flying safely and legally. Whether you need to register under Part 107, pass TRUST, apply for a waiver, or check a city ordinance, FPV Fish will point you directly to the relevant rules.
Use the map below to explore drone laws across the United States. Click anywhere on the map and it will bring up a list of all the applicable laws at the state, county, and city levels.
Disclaimer
Information provided here is for informational purposes only and not legal advice.
Select an area to view its laws.
This feature is still in active development and may be missing laws, but we are adding more all the time. In the meantime, you can find our guides on various regulatory topics in the links below.
Quick Links to Our Other Resources
You can find our detailed how-to guides and in-depth articles here:
- The Drone Registration Guide walks you through FAA DroneZone registration and TRUST testing.
- Our Recreational Drone Regulations article explains the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations.
- The Commercial Drone Regulations page covers Part 107 certification and operational limits.
- Learn about Remote ID requirements and approved broadcast modules.
- If you need beyond-visual-line-of-sight or night-ops, see our FAA Waivers Guide.
- For an overview of city and county ordinances, visit our Local Drone Laws collection.