Drone laws in Florida (2026)

You can fly a drone in Florida with the same FAA credentials as anywhere else: the free TRUST certificate for fun or a Part 107 certificate for paid work. Florida's own laws are some of the strictest in the country. Flying over a critical infrastructure facility is a third-degree felony unless you fit a listed exception, flying over K-12 schools or classified agricultural land is a misdemeanor, and state parks don't allow drone takeoff or landing.

Do you need a drone license in Florida?

Florida has no state drone license, permit or registration. FAA rules decide what you need:

Recreational: pass the free TRUST test. Register with the FAA ($5, 3 years) if your drone is 250 g or more.
Commercial: a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA, often called a drone pilot license. This covers real estate, weddings, roof work and paid content.
Airspace: Miami, Orlando and Tampa all sit under Class B airspace. Get LAANC authorization before flying near them, and stay at or below 400 ft.

Florida state drone laws

Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act (F.S. 330.41). The school rules took effect July 1, 2024, the farmland and harassment rules July 1, 2025, and the current critical infrastructure penalty October 1, 2025. You may not knowingly or willfully:

Fly over critical infrastructure. Covered facilities include power plants and substations, water and wastewater plants, refineries, pipelines, communication towers, airports, listed seaports, spaceports, military installations, dams, prisons and jails. A facility counts only if it's fenced or posted with no-entry signs, except listed seaports. Flying over one, letting a drone touch it, or flying close enough to interfere with or disturb it is a third-degree felony (up to 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine). Exemptions: government agencies and anyone working for them, law enforcement agencies that comply with F.S. 934.50, and the facility's owner, operator or occupant or anyone with their prior written consent. Flying over a facility is also allowed if the flight is for a commercial purpose and authorized by and in compliance with FAA regulations, such as a Part 107 operation. That commercial exception doesn't cover contact or interference, and it doesn't help a recreational flight.
Fly over a public or private school serving pre-K through grade 12, or let a drone touch it, unless you have prior written consent from the principal, school board, superintendent or school governing board. A first offense is a second-degree misdemeanor. Recording video of the school makes it a first-degree misdemeanor, and a repeat video offense is a third-degree felony.
Fly over agricultural land classified under F.S. 193.461, touch anything on it, or disturb farm production. The owner and people with the owner's prior written consent are exempt. It's a second-degree misdemeanor, first-degree for a repeat offense.
Let a drone touch private property, state wildlife management lands or a shooting range with intent to harass. That's a second-degree misdemeanor, or first-degree if you record video; a repeat video offense is a felony.

The same law preempts most local drone ordinances. Cities and counties can't regulate drone operation itself, but they can enforce general laws on nuisance, voyeurism, harassment and property damage.

Privacy (F.S. 934.50). You can't use a camera drone to record people or privately owned property with intent to conduct surveillance that violates their reasonable expectation of privacy without written consent. Florida presumes that expectation applies if the person can't be seen from ground level, even if they can be seen from the air. Knowingly or willfully doing so is a first-degree misdemeanor, and distributing the footage is a third-degree felony. The owner, tenant or other lawful occupant can also sue for compensatory damages and an injunction, may seek punitive damages, and the winning side recovers attorney fees. More in Florida's drone surveillance law.

Wildlife. Using a drone to take or harass fish or wildlife is illegal, and that includes disturbing nesting birds.

Where you can fly in Florida

State parks: Florida's park rules don't allow aircraft of any kind, drones included, to take off or land in a state park except in emergencies. Launch from somewhere else.
National parks: banned in Everglades, Biscayne, Dry Tortugas and other NPS units, including Canaveral National Seashore.
Beaches: depend on the city or county and nearby airspace. See drones on Florida beaches.
Theme parks: Walt Disney World is covered by a permanent FAA flight restriction.

Before you fly in Florida

Check airspace and TFRs in B4UFLY or Aloft. Space launches and VIP visits add temporary restrictions.
Look for schools, substations, farms and fenced facilities on your flight path.
Don't film into backyards or pools.
Carry your TRUST certificate or Part 107 card.

Salt air and sudden storms are hard on drones, so wipe yours down after beach flights. A sub-250 g model like the DJI Mini 5 Pro or Mini 4 Pro needs no recreational registration. Read the full statutes on the Florida Senate site, and compare other states in drone laws by state.

Rules current as of October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.