California Drone Laws & Drone License (2026): State, City and Park Rules

California drone laws sit on top of the FAA’s federal rules, and in 2026 the state added two new ones. So if you fly in California, you’re dealing with three layers at once: the FAA, the state, and whatever city or park you’re standing in.

One thing to remember up front: states do not control airspace. The FAA does. States, counties and cities can only limit takeoff and landing from public land. Private property is private, and those same governments, and especially HOAs, cannot regulate flights over it the way the FAA regulates the air.

The good news is that most of it is predictable once you know where to look. Below we cover who issues your drone license, the state statutes that actually matter, the rules in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego, and where you can (and can’t) fly.

Quick answer

• License: California doesn’t issue one. The FAA does. Flying for pay or business requires a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, and flying just for fun requires the free TRUST certificate.
• State laws that matter most: privacy (Civil Code §1708.8, which covers the airspace above someone’s land), emergency scenes (Penal Code §402) and prisons and jails (Penal Code §4577).
• New for 2026: AB 2113 (no drones within 400 feet of outdoor ticketed events or amusement parks) and AB 1749 (civil penalties for interfering with wildfire response). Both were signed in September 2026.
• Parks: State parks generally allow drones unless a posted order says otherwise. National parks, including Yosemite, generally don’t.
• Last reviewed: October 2026 by The Drone U team.

Do you need a drone license in California?

It depends on why you’re flying, not where. California drone laws don’t create a state license. Instead, the FAA has two paths, and the state follows them.

Flying for work: Part 107

Any business use counts. For example, the FAA’s own examples include photos to help sell a property, roof inspections and pictures of a high school football game for the school’s website. In fact, even volunteer work for a nonprofit can count as non-recreational. The FAA’s advice is simple: when in doubt, assume Part 107.

To earn the certificate, you must:

• Be at least 16 years old
• Read, speak, write and understand English
• Pass the Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center
• Clear a TSA security check after you apply in IACRA
• Complete the FAA’s free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months

Flying for fun: TRUST

Recreational flyers take The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST), which is free and online. You also need to register any drone that weighs 250 grams or more, follow a community-based organization’s safety guidelines, and stay at or below 400 feet in uncontrolled airspace. Our TRUST test guide walks through it.

Either way, registration costs $5 and lasts three years. In addition, a drone that requires registration must broadcast Remote ID.

Ready to fly for money? Get your California drone license with our Part 107 course. It’s $147 (regularly $197), with lifetime access and a 14-day money-back guarantee. Drone U has 10+ years of in-person drone training and 14+ years of online drone education behind it.

California drone laws: the state statutes that matter

Under the FAA’s 2023 fact sheet on state and local regulation, states can’t regulate aviation safety or airspace efficiency. However, they can regulate things like privacy, trespass and public safety. That’s exactly where California drone laws focus, as the table shows.

What the two new 2026 laws mean for you

Both bills were signed in September 2026. Because they’re non-urgency bills, they’re expected to take effect January 1, 2027, so confirm the date before you rely on it.

AB 2113 is the one commercial pilots should read twice. A ticketed event counts if the venue holds 1,000 or more people behind gated entries. Also, the commercial exception isn’t a blanket Part 107 pass. It requires FAA authorization to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), on top of a commercial purpose. In other words, a standard Part 107 pilot shooting near a concert or theme park needs the venue operator’s consent.

Meanwhile, AB 1749 targets the drones that keep grounding firefighting aircraft. So if there’s smoke in the sky, keep your drone in the bag.

City and county rules: Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego

Beyond the state level, California drone laws get more local. City rules mostly control where you can take off and land. Some go further, and that’s where pilots get surprised.

Los Angeles

The city’s drone ordinance, LAMC §56.31, sets these rules for hobby flights inside city limits:

• No flying within 5 miles of an airport without the tower’s prior authorization
• Line of sight with your own eyes only (FPV goggles don’t count)
• Daylight only, between official sunrise and sunset
• No higher than 400 feet
• No closer than 25 feet to people, except during takeoff and landing

Every operator, hobby or commercial, must also follow federal rules, TFRs and NOTAMs, and avoid careless or reckless flying. Violations are misdemeanors. City parks add another layer. Under LAMC §63.44(B)(8), flying aircraft or powered models in a park is banned except in areas set aside for it.

Some of LA’s rules are stricter than federal law. Even so—after a decade of training pilots—our advice is to follow the stricter rule. A preemption argument isn’t a flight plan.

San Francisco

San Francisco Park Code §3.09 bans launching or landing any “machine or apparatus of aviation” in a city park without permission from the Recreation and Park Department. In practice, that means getting a permit before you fly from any SF park.

San Diego

San Diego’s ordinance (SDMC §52.5401–52.5405) makes it unlawful to fly carelessly or recklessly, to violate any FAA flight restriction, or to interfere with law enforcement, firefighting or emergency operations. Violations can be prosecuted as misdemeanors.

Elsewhere, check the city or county code before you fly. Also keep in mind that an FAA “No Drone Zone” sign posted by a local government restricts takeoff and landing on that property. It doesn’t close the airspace above it.

Where you can fly in California: parks, Yosemite and airspace around LAX and SFO

California state parks

According to California State Parks, drones are allowed in state parks, beaches, historic parks, recreation areas and vehicular recreation areas unless a District Superintendent’s posted order prohibits them. Because posted orders are common, check with the district first. Meanwhile, state regulations ban motorized equipment, including drones, in state wilderness areas, natural preserves and cultural preserves.

Flying for work is different, though. Commercial drone use in a state park requires a permit from the district. Commercial filming also needs a permit from the California Film Commission.

National parks, including Yosemite

The National Park Service prohibits launching, landing or operating drones in park units unless a park has an exception. Yosemite’s May 2026 Superintendent’s Compendium prohibits it except with the Superintendent’s written approval. According to the NPS, violating the ban is a misdemeanor with a maximum of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine. For more detail, read our guide to flying in national parks and national forests.

Controlled airspace, Disneyland and wildfire TFRs

• Big airports. LAX, SFO and San Diego International sit inside Class B airspace, and dozens of smaller airports have Class C or D. You need an FAA authorization before flying in any of it. LAANC can grant one in near real time, up to the altitudes on the FAA’s UAS Facility Maps.
• Disneyland. FAA NOTAM FDC 4/3635 prohibits all aircraft, including drones, within 3 nautical miles of the park from the surface up to 3,000 feet. Because it’s classified as national defense airspace, violations can carry federal criminal penalties.
• Stadiums. The FAA prohibits drones within 3 nautical miles of MLB, NFL, NCAA Division I football and major auto racing events, from one hour before to one hour after the scheduled event.
• Wildfires. Fire TFRs pop up fast in California. On top of that, the U.S. Forest Service is blunt: drones can never be flown over wildfires or where TFRs are in place around fires.

Finally, check FAA B4UFLY and the FAA TFR list before every flight, not just the first one.

How to get your Part 107 in California: test centers and cost

1. Get an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) by creating an IACRA profile.
2. Study. The test leans hard on airspace, sectional charts and weather. Since October 26, 2026, the test has included image-based chart questions; our Part 107 test changes guide explains what’s different.
3. Book the test at an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center. Use the scheduling link on the FAA’s remote pilot page and search near you, whether that’s LA, the Bay Area, San Diego or Sacramento. Bring a government-issued photo ID.
4. Pass, then apply for your certificate on FAA Form 8710-13 in IACRA.
5. Print your temporary certificate once the TSA background check clears. The permanent card comes by mail.

As for cost, the FAA says testing centers charge approximately $175 for the initial test. Add $5 per drone for registration. For the full picture, see our drone license cost breakdown and our step-by-step guide on how to get your Part 107 license.

FAQ: California drone laws

Are drones legal in California?
Yes. You can fly legally as long as you follow FAA rules plus California drone laws and local ordinances. The common traps are privacy, emergency scenes, prisons, posted park orders and, starting in 2027, ticketed events and amusement parks.

Can I fly a drone over private property in California?
The FAA controls the airspace, and no California statute bans simply flying over private land. However, Civil Code §1708.8 makes it an invasion of privacy to enter the airspace above someone’s land to capture private, personal or familial activity in an offensive way. Taking off or landing on someone’s property also needs their permission.

Can you fly a drone at night in California?
Under Part 107, yes, if your drone has anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles and you’ve passed the current test or recurrent training. However, Los Angeles’s ordinance limits hobby flights inside city limits to daylight hours.

Do I need a permit to fly in a California state park?
For recreation, usually not, unless the district has a posted order. For commercial work, yes: get a district permit, plus a California Film Commission permit for commercial filming.

What changed in California drone laws in 2026?
Two bills became law in September 2026: AB 2113 (the 400-foot buffer around outdoor ticketed events and amusement parks) and AB 1749 (up to $75,000 in civil penalties for interfering with wildfire response). Both are expected to take effect January 1, 2027.

Get your California drone license with Drone U

In short, California drone laws reward pilots who plan before they launch. That means knowing the airspace, the property and the people below you. Not coincidentally, it’s also what the Part 107 test checks.

Want a quick gut-check first? Take our free Part 107 practice test. For the bigger picture, our drone laws by state guide covers the rest of the country.

Get your California drone license with our Part 107 course for $147 (regularly $197). You get on-demand video lessons, FAA-aligned quizzes (a 90%+ score is a good sign you’re ready), a downloadable study guide, access to the private Drone U community, lifetime access and a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Training a team? Explore our Enterprise Drone Programs or book a consultation to plan training for your organization.

1