You can fly a drone in Texas with the same FAA credentials as anywhere in the US: the free TRUST certificate for fun, or a Part 107 certificate for paid work, plus FAA registration for drones of 250 g or more. Texas adds its own laws: Government Code Chapter 423 bans flying under 400 ft over critical infrastructure and large stadiums and limits using drones to capture images of people and private property, and the Penal Code bans low flights over prisons and jails.
Do you need a drone license or registration in Texas?
Texas has no state drone license, pilot license or registration. The FAA handles all of it:
- Recreational: take the free TRUST test. Register with the FAA ($5, 3 years) if your drone weighs 250 g or more. See FAA registration.
- Commercial: the "drone pilot license" is the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Every drone flown under Part 107 must be registered.
- Airspace: Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio sit in Class B airspace, and Austin, El Paso and Lubbock are Class C. Get LAANC authorization before flying there, and stay at or below 400 ft.
Texas state drone laws
- Surveillance (423.003): using a drone to capture an image of a person or privately owned property with intent to conduct surveillance is a Class C misdemeanor. Possessing that image is a Class C misdemeanor, and sharing it is a Class B misdemeanor. Section 423.002 lists many lawful uses, such as images taken with the property owner's consent, real estate marketing by a licensed broker when no person can be identified, utility and pipeline work, university research and images of public property.
- Critical infrastructure (Government Code 423.0045): flying under 400 ft over fenced or posted facilities like refineries, chemical plants, power plants, substations, water treatment plants and pipelines, or letting a drone touch one, is a Class B misdemeanor. Commercial flights that follow all FAA rules and authorizations are exempt, as are flights with the owner's or operator's prior written consent.
- Stadiums (Government Code 423.0046): no flying under 400 ft over a sports venue with 30,000 or more seats. It's a Class B misdemeanor, with the same commercial and written-consent exemptions.
- Prisons and jails (Penal Code 38.115): no flying under 400 ft over a prison, jail, juvenile detention facility or ICE detention facility, or close enough to disrupt it. It's a Class B misdemeanor, and a state jail felony if the drone delivers contraband. Only government work, law enforcement and flights with the facility's prior written consent are exempt.
A federal court blocked parts of Chapter 423 in 2022, but the Fifth Circuit reversed that ruling in National Press Photographers Association v. McCraw. The law is enforceable. More in Texas drone privacy law.
Local rules. Section 423.009 limits what cities and counties can regulate. They can still control drones in limited cases, such as special events and their own property, so check city park rules before launching.
Wildlife. Texas Parks and Wildlife says using a drone to hunt, drive, capture, take, count or photograph wildlife is unlawful without a TPWD Aerial Management Permit and landowner authorization.
Where you can fly in Texas
- State parks: drones aren't allowed without permission, usually a TPWD filming permit arranged through the park superintendent. Martin Dies, Jr. State Park has a designated radio-control flying area. See drones in Texas state parks.
- National parks: banned at Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains, Padre Island National Seashore and other NPS sites.
- National forests and grasslands: generally allowed outside wilderness areas and TFRs.
- Cities: Houston, for example, requires a permit to launch from city parks. See drone laws in Houston.
Before you fly in Texas
- Check airspace and TFRs in B4UFLY or Aloft.
- Look for refineries, substations, prisons and stadiums near your flight path.
- Get the owner's consent before photographing private property.
- Carry your TRUST certificate or Part 107 card.
The DJI Mini 5 Pro and Mini 4 Pro weigh under 250 g, so they need no FAA registration for recreational flying. Texas summer heat is hard on batteries, so let them cool before charging.
Rules current as of October 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
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