Tennessee has no state drone license. Recreational pilots need the free FAA TRUST certificate and commercial pilots need a Part 107 certificate, plus FAA registration for drones of 250 g or more. Tennessee has some of the most detailed drone laws in the South: surveilling within 250 ft of critical infrastructure without consent is a felony, and capturing images of people or property for surveillance, or at ticketed events, is a misdemeanor. State parks require written park manager approval.
Do you need a drone license in TN?
Not from the state. FAA rules apply:
- Recreational: pass the free TRUST test. Register with the FAA ($5, 3 years) if your drone weighs 250 g or more.
- Commercial: a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate and a registered drone.
- Airspace: Nashville and Memphis are Class C, Knoxville and Chattanooga have controlled airspace, and Fort Campbell and Arnold have military airspace. Use LAANC and stay at or below 400 ft.
Tennessee state drone laws (Tenn. Code 39-13-901 to 39-13-903)
- Critical infrastructure: knowingly flying within 250 ft of the perimeter of a critical infrastructure facility to surveil, record or collect information about it, without the operator's written consent, is a Class E felony. That includes power plants, substations and transmission lines, refineries, chemical plants, water plants, gas infrastructure, rail yards and communication facilities.
- Surveillance: using a drone to capture images of a person or private property with intent to conduct surveillance is a Class C misdemeanor, and each image can be a separate offense. The law also lists many lawful uses, such as real estate, utility work and research.
- Events and fireworks: without consent, you can't capture images at, or drop items into, an open-air ticketed event with more than 100 people, or fly over a fireworks display or fallout area.
- Prisons: flying over the grounds of a correctional facility is prohibited.
- Trespass (39-14-405): Tennessee's criminal trespass law covers drones.
- Hunting: TWRA rules ban using drones to hunt, scout, harass or take wildlife. A new rule allows drone deer recovery on private land in limited hours starting with the 2026-27 season. Check TWRA for current details.
Where you can fly in Tennessee
- State parks: you need written park manager approval to take off or land, unless the park has a designated landing area. Drones also can't operate within 500 ft of beaches, docks or ramps, or within a mile of dams.
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park: banned, like every NPS unit. See the Smokies and Gatlinburg.
- Cherokee National Forest: generally allowed outside wilderness areas and TFRs.
- Cities: Nashville and other cities set their own park rules. See drone laws in Nashville.
Before you fly in Tennessee
- Check airspace and TFRs in B4UFLY or Aloft.
- Stay 250 ft from substations, power lines and plants unless you have consent.
- Avoid ticketed events, fireworks and prisons.
- Carry your TRUST certificate or Part 107 card.
A sub-250 g drone like the DJI Mini 4 Pro or Mini 5 Pro needs no recreational registration. Read the statutes at the Tennessee General Assembly.
Rules current as of October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
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