Drone regulations, permits and safety in the US

Every drone flight on a production is an aviation operation. National aviation authorities treat drones as aircraft, with rules on who may fly, where, how high, how close to people and with what approvals. Productions also need permission from landowners, municipalities and park agencies, and they must manage privacy and safety on the ground. Rules change often: both countries made major changes in 2025 and 2026, and further changes are expected. This lesson explains the framework that applies at the time of writing (October 2026), shows how to plan a compliant drone day and gives you the habits to check the current rules before every job. It is an awareness lesson: it does not replace the official training, examinations and certificates required to fly.

Why drone rules matter on a film set

Film sets concentrate the conditions that make drone flights risky: crowds of crew and extras, actors who are concentrating on performance, vehicles and equipment, tight schedules and pressure to get the shot. A drone weighing 10 kg or more falling from 30 m can kill. Flyaways, battery failures and collisions with structures happen even to experienced pilots. The rules exist to reduce those risks and to keep drones from conflicting with crewed aircraft, emergency operations and the public. On a production, the drone team's compliance also protects the production's insurance, permits and reputation.

The framework in the US

In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates drones, which it calls small unmanned aircraft systems, under 14 CFR Part 107 for commercial operations, including all film and television work. Part 107 applies to drones under 55 lb (about 25 kg). Drones weighing 0.55 lb (250 g) or more must be registered with the FAA and marked with their registration number, and must meet the Remote ID rule, broadcasting their identity and location either from a built-in system or an add-on module.

• Remote pilot certificate: the pilot must hold an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate, earned by passing an aeronautical knowledge test (minimum age 16), and must complete free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months.
• Operating limits: no higher than 400 ft above ground level unless within 400 ft of a structure, within visual line of sight of the pilot or a visual observer, at no more than 100 mph and yielding right of way to crewed aircraft.
• Night operations: allowed for certificated pilots who have completed the current training, with anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles.
• Operations over people: allowed in four categories based on the drone's weight, design and declared compliance, from Category 1 for very light drones to Category 4 for drones with an airworthiness certificate; flying over people in moving vehicles has further limits.
• Controlled airspace: needs FAA authorization, often obtained in near real time through the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) or through the FAA's DroneZone.
• Waivers: operations outside Part 107, such as beyond visual line of sight or certain operations over people, need a waiver showing equivalent safety.
• Part 108: a proposed rule for beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations, published in August 2025, sets up permits and certificates for organizations. The final rule was sent for federal review in July 2026 but had not taken effect at the time of writing.

Permissions beyond aviation in the US

Aviation compliance is only the start. Productions also need the following.

• Landowner and location permission for take-off, landing and filming, usually through the location manager and the local film office.
• Municipal and state film permits: cities such as Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta require permits or notifications for drone filming and may limit times and areas.
• National parks: the National Park Service prohibits launching, landing or operating drones in park units without specific authorization, so drone filming in a national park is rarely approved.
• National forests and wilderness: the US Forest Service may require filming permits, and drones may not take off or land in designated wilderness areas.
• Tribal lands: permission from the relevant tribal government.
• Temporary flight restrictions (TFRs): wildfires, stadium events, VIP movements and other events can close airspace at short notice; flying a drone near a wildfire is a federal offense and grounds firefighting aircraft.

Privacy and the public

Drones can capture people who have not agreed to be filmed, often from angles they do not expect. Productions should treat privacy as part of their planning.

• Avoid filming private homes, yards and windows unless the owners have given permission.
• Inform neighbors and the public when drone filming will happen, with signs and notices as required by the film permit.
• Do not record or keep footage of identifiable bystanders unless releases are obtained or the use is lawful and justified.
• Follow the applicable privacy laws and the production's own privacy policies.

Planning a compliant drone day

A practical checklist covers the main steps.

• Confirm the pilot's certificate, the drone's registration and the operator's insurance.
• Check the airspace: controlled or uncontrolled, nearby airports and heliports, temporary restrictions and any special airspace.
• Obtain airspace authorizations and permissions well ahead, with a backup plan if they are delayed.
• Complete a site survey and risk assessment with exclusion zones, take-off and landing areas and emergency procedures.
• Brief cast, crew and any public on the flight plan and safety rules.
• Keep flight logs and incident reports, and report accidents as required by the aviation authority.

Incident response and reporting

Even with good planning, incidents happen.

• Stop flying immediately after any loss of control, collision or injury.
• Secure the scene and give first aid if needed.
• Preserve the aircraft, logs and data for investigation.
• Report to the aviation authority as required (both Canada and the US require reports of serious incidents, such as injuries or damage above set thresholds).
• Notify the production's safety officer and insurer.
• Hold a debrief and update procedures before flying again.

Staying current in the US

The FAA publishes Part 107 rules, guidance, waiver decisions and airspace tools online, and the B4UFLY app and LAANC providers show airspace limits. Pilots must complete recurrent training every 24 calendar months. Because Part 108 and other changes are moving through rulemaking, productions should ask drone teams which rules and authorizations each planned flight uses and check the current requirements at faa.gov before every job.

Drone safety culture on set

Rules set the minimum. A professional drone team adds habits that make every flight safer and every shoot calmer.

• A single voice for flight calls: the pilot or the first AD announces "drone up" and "drone down" on the main radio channel so everyone knows when the aircraft is flying.
• A no-fly decision that nobody questions: if the pilot calls off a flight because of wind, interference, battery condition or people in the area, the production finds another solution rather than pressing.
• Cast and crew briefings: performers who will work near a drone are told where it will fly, how close it will come and what to do if it behaves unexpectedly.
• Protection near people: propeller guards, lighter drones and slower speeds when flights come close to performers, with rehearsals at walking pace first.
• Interference awareness: radio-heavy sets, metal structures and power lines can disturb control links and compasses, so pilots check signal quality and calibrate before flying.
• Weather discipline: wind limits, precipitation limits and temperature limits are agreed in advance and checked with instruments, not guessed.
• Battery discipline: batteries are tracked by number and cycle count, stored at safe charge levels, inspected for swelling and retired on schedule.
• Fatigue limits: pilots and observers get breaks, since concentration falls over a long day of short, intense flights.

Insurance and contracts

Productions usually require drone operators to carry aviation liability insurance at a stated minimum and to name the production as an additional insured. The production's own insurer may require proof of certificates, registration, approvals and a risk assessment before it covers drone work. Contracts should state who is responsible for obtaining aviation approvals, who may cancel a flight for safety reasons without penalty, how weather days are paid and who owns the footage and flight logs.

Why the rules keep changing

Drone technology moves faster than regulation. Larger drones, longer flights, beyond-visual-line-of-sight delivery and inspection, and automated "drone in a box" systems all push regulators to create new categories. Canada's 2025 changes and the proposed US Part 108 rule both reflect this shift from case-by-case approvals toward routine rules for lower-risk operations. For filmmakers, the practical result is that options grow every year, but so does the need to check which rules apply on the day of the shoot.