Kentucky has no state drone license. To fly legally, take the free FAA TRUST test for recreational flying, or pass the FAA Part 107 exam for commercial work, and register drones of 250 g or more with the FAA. Kentucky adds a 2025 privacy law that lets property owners sue drone operators who record them, a key infrastructure trespass law, a hunting ban and a permit requirement in state parks.
How to get a drone license in Kentucky
- Recreational: take the free online TRUST test and keep the certificate with you.
- Commercial: pass the FAA Part 107 knowledge test at an approved testing center, then apply for your Remote Pilot Certificate. See our Part 107 guide.
- Register with the FAA ($5, 3 years) if your drone is 250 g or more, or for any Part 107 flight.
- Check airspace: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky is Class B, and Louisville and Lexington are Class C. Fort Knox and Fort Campbell have restricted airspace. Use LAANC where needed and stay at or below 400 ft.
Kentucky state drone laws
- Privacy (KRS 500.130, amended 2025): a drone operator may not record images of privately owned property or the people on it to surveil them or publish unauthorized images, in violation of their reasonable expectation of privacy. People are presumed to have that expectation if they can't be seen from ground level, even if a drone could see them. Property owners can sue for damages and attorney fees. The same law limits police drone searches.
- Key infrastructure (KRS 511.100): flying over key infrastructure such as power plants, refineries, chemical plants, rail yards, water plants, prisons and telecom sites with intent to cause harm or conduct surveillance, without the owner's consent, is a misdemeanor. Over food processing plants and animal feeding operations, flying or recording without consent is enough. FAA-compliant commercial operators are exempt.
- Crimes by drone (KRS 501.110): committing any crime with a drone is treated the same as committing it in person.
- Reckless flying (KRS 183.086): operating recklessly in a way that risks serious injury or damage is a misdemeanor, and a felony if it seriously disrupts a manned aircraft.
- Wildlife (301 KAR 3:140): using a drone to hunt, fish, take, drive or harass wildlife is prohibited.
Where you can fly in Kentucky
- State parks: drone use requires a permit application with proof of liability insurance and your TRUST or Part 107 certificate. Some parks sit on Army Corps of Engineers land, which needs a separate request.
- National park units: banned at Mammoth Cave National Park, Cumberland Gap and other NPS sites.
- National forest: Daniel Boone National Forest generally allows drones outside wilderness areas and TFRs, including much of the Red River Gorge area.
- City parks: Louisville Metro Parks and other cities set their own launch rules.
Before you fly in Kentucky
- Check airspace and TFRs in B4UFLY or Aloft. Derby week brings restrictions around Churchill Downs.
- Don't record neighbors or their property.
- Apply early for state park permits.
- Carry your TRUST certificate or Part 107 card.
The DJI Mini 4 Pro and Mini 5 Pro weigh under 250 g, so recreational pilots don't need FAA registration. Read the statutes at the Kentucky General Assembly.
Rules current as of October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
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