Drone Laws & Compliance
Federal FAA rules, procurement requirements and state law — what an operator has to clear before a thermal mission flies.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change: confirm the current text with the FAA and your state before you fly. Last reviewed November 2026.
Federal — FAA flight rules
The FAA controls the airspace and the operating rules. These apply whatever state you launch from, and a state law never substitutes for them.
Register the aircraft
Every drone from 0.55 lb (250 g) up to 55 lb must be registered with the FAA before it flies, recreational or commercial. The registration number goes on the airframe, and it is renewed on the FAA's cycle.
FAA — Register your droneRecreational flights: TRUST and the standard limits
Flying purely for fun requires passing The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and carrying proof of it. Keep the aircraft in visual line of sight, stay at or below 400 ft AGL in uncontrolled airspace, never fly over people or emergency response, and get FAA authorization before entering Class B, C, D or surface Class E airspace.
FAA — Recreational flyersPaid or business flights need Part 107
Any flight that supports a business, a client or compensation — inspection, mapping, real estate, media, agriculture scouting — falls under Part 107 and needs a Remote Pilot Certificate, an aircraft under 55 lb, and compliance with the operating rules. Public safety and government agencies fly under a COA or Part 107 instead.
FAA — Commercial operators / Part 107Controlled airspace: LAANC or DroneZone
Controlled airspace around airports needs an authorization. LAANC returns near-real-time approval at participating facilities through an FAA-approved app; anything outside that goes through FAA DroneZone, and a waiver is the route for an operation the standard rules do not allow.
FAA — LAANCRemote ID is required
Standard Remote ID has been mandatory since March 16, 2024. A registered drone must broadcast its identity and location, or carry a broadcast module. Aircraft without Remote ID may only fly inside an FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA).
FAA — Remote IDNight and over-people operations
Part 107 permits night flight with anti-collision lighting visible for three statute miles, and flight over people or moving vehicles only inside the Subpart D categories or under a waiver. Each category carries its own aircraft labeling and operating conditions, which is where most inspection and public-safety programs get caught out.
FAA — Operations over peopleBeyond visual line of sight is authorization-based
Routine BVLOS — dock corridors, long pipeline and utility runs, repeated automated missions — still requires an FAA waiver, exemption or COA. The Part 108 rule that would create a standing BVLOS framework has not taken effect, so plan a waiver path into any dock or corridor program.
FAA — Advanced operationsCheck TFRs before every flight
Temporary flight restrictions appear for wildfires, disasters, major events and security operations, and flying inside one is a violation even on a previously approved mission. Check the TFR list the same day, not the week before.
FAA — Temporary flight restrictions
Procurement & enterprise compliance
Buying or flying for a federal agency, a federal contract, a grant-funded program or many state and local agencies adds rules the FAA never touches — they decide which aircraft you are allowed to buy at all.
NDAA Section 889 and covered manufacturers
Federal buyers, contractors and grant recipients cannot procure or use drones from covered foreign manufacturers. Section 889 flows straight into contracts, cooperative agreements and subcontracts, so an aircraft that is perfectly legal to own can still be un-buyable for an agency program.
FAA / agency guidance — verify with your contracting officerBlue UAS Cleared List
The Defense Innovation Unit maintains the Blue UAS Cleared List — aircraft and components vetted against DoD cyber and supply-chain requirements. It is the fastest way to see which platforms are pre-cleared for defense and federal work.
DIU — Blue UAS Cleared ListTAA and country of origin
GSA Schedule and many federal purchases require Trade Agreements Act compliance, meaning the item was manufactured or substantially transformed in a TAA-designated country. Country of origin is a separate question from NDAA compliance, and a product can satisfy one and fail the other.
GSA — TAA complianceState agency drone restrictions
A growing number of states bar their own agencies from buying or operating drones made by covered foreign manufacturers, sometimes with an effective date and an exemption process. Check the state procurement statute alongside the federal rule before quoting an agency.
Find your state statute
State, local & wildlife rules
FAA rules travel with the aircraft; state and local law governs what happens on the ground and who may fly for what purpose. Every state has its own drone statutes, and they add to the federal rules rather than replacing them.
State drone statutes
All 50 states have enacted drone legislation covering privacy and surveillance, critical infrastructure, law-enforcement use, and agency purchasing. Read the statute for the state you launch from — not just the state you fly over — before a commercial or public-agency mission.
NCSL — State drone law landscapeHunting and wildlife
Most states prohibit using a drone to locate, drive, track or take game, and several restrict drone flight over wildlife management areas and during established seasons. If a mission touches hunting, scouting or wildlife work, the state wildlife agency's rule controls, and it is often stricter than operators expect.
Find your state wildlife agencyPrivacy, surveillance and infrastructure
Many states define a privacy offense for aerial surveillance of people or private property, and restrict flight near prisons, water treatment, pipelines and utility infrastructure. Thermal payloads draw extra scrutiny because they see what the eye cannot.
NCSL — State drone law landscapeLocal ordinances and site permission
Cities and counties regulate launch and recovery, parks, school grounds and stadiums, and private property owners can refuse access to their land. A legal flight in national airspace can still be a trespass or an ordinance violation on the ground — get site permission in writing for commercial work.
FAA — Where can I fly?
Preflight compliance check
- Aircraft registered and the registration number on the airframe
- Remote ID broadcasting (or a broadcast module fitted, or a FRIA in use)
- TRUST certificate for recreational flight, Remote Pilot Certificate for Part 107
- Airspace authorization secured through LAANC or FAA DroneZone
- Same-day TFR and NOTAM check for the operating area
- Waiver or COA on hand if the mission is BVLOS, over people, or otherwise outside the standard rules
- Site permission, privacy and local ordinance review for the launch and recovery point
- State wildlife or hunting rule checked if the mission touches land or game
- Agency or contract compliance verified (NDAA §889, Blue UAS, TAA) for public-sector work
Buying for an agency or a federal contract? The aircraft has to clear NDAA §889, Blue UAS and TAA before flight rules even apply. Our drone catalog labels NDAA- and TAA-compliant aircraft so the procurement question is answered before the mission plan.
Common questions
- Do I need a license to fly a drone for business?
- Yes. Any flight that supports a business or client requires a Remote Pilot Certificate under FAA Part 107 unless it is flown under a public-agency COA. Recreational flights still require passing the free TRUST test.
- Is a state drone law different from the FAA rules?
- They stack. The FAA sets the airspace and operating rules everywhere, while each state adds its own statutes on privacy, critical infrastructure, wildlife and agency purchasing. A flight is compliant only when it satisfies both.
- Do thermal inspection drones need Remote ID?
- Any registered drone needs Standard Remote ID or a broadcast module, thermal payload or not. Aircraft without Remote ID may only operate inside an FAA-Recognized Identification Area.
- Can a drone be used to locate or hunt game?
- Most states prohibit using a drone to locate, drive, track or take game, and some restrict flight over wildlife management areas. The state wildlife agency's rule controls on top of the FAA rules.