The United States has various laws that govern every operation on its soil. The laws could be federal laws to be obeyed in all 50 states, state laws to be enforced within a state, and jurisdictional or municipal laws that apply to each city, town, or county. If you’re flying your drone in Ohio, you should be aware of federal, state, and local drone laws in Ohio and comply with them.
Aerospace laws govern the operation of aircraft within the United States airspace. One of such laws is the one that covers the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also referred to as drones. With thousands of drones registered in the US, the government has to ensure the movement of these little birds does not infringe on people’s privacy rights and disrupt aerospace activities.
You must be familiar with all the drone usage operating laws to avoid getting into trouble with the government. Drones are regarded equally to other aircraft, so aviation laws also govern them.
The Federal Aviation Administration Trusted SourceFederal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration is an operating mode of the U.S. Department of Transportation. www.faa.gov is the organization commissioned to make these laws regarding the use of aviation space and ensure their regulation.
To be eligible to fly any UAV in the United States, your drone needs to be registered according to the FAA regulations Trusted SourceFAA Regulations www.faa.gov . Registration rules apply to all aircraft weighing between 0.55pounds and 55 pounds. If your drone weighs less than 0.55 pounds, you are exempted from registering the aircraft.
The registration process requires you to provide your name, address, email address, brand, model, and drone serial number.
The FAA will assign you a registration number which must be carried with you at all times when flying your drone. You must affix this registration number to your aircraft. You are required to present this to any law enforcement agent, federal, state, or local, upon request.
Registration is valid for three years and costs $5, which you will be required to pay with a debit or credit card. To register, visit dronezone.faa.gov Trusted Source dronezone.faa.gov .
The online registration process enables you to link your registration number to an unlimited number of drones. You can also register by walking into an FAA office for the physical registration process.
The FAA laws State that you may not fly within a 5-mile radius of any airport. Do not disturb or interrupt the activities of crewed aircraft with your flight.
You are liable for any safety hazard your drone creates in an airport environment or a crewed aircraft. Therefore, if you enjoy flying your drone at dawn or twilight hours, you can check out these best night vision drones to prevent accidents.
Eligibility as a commercial drone pilot requires that;
The pilot is required to create an IACRA profile Trusted SourceIACRA - Federal Aviation Administration iacra.faa.gov , and the FAA will provide a tracking number after this.
Pilots flying drones for business or work must pass the FAA’s Aeronautical Knowledge Test. The FAA AKT costs $175 and is a 60-questions multiple-choice test completed in two hours. The minimum passing score is 70 percent, after which they are issued a Remote Pilot Certificate. This certificate is valid for two years.
The following laws guide the usage of a drone for recreational purposes.
As a government employee (Police, Firefighter), you can fly a Drone in the state of Ohio.
State Drone Laws in Ohio do not pre-empt the Federal Drone Laws but instead work together with Federal Laws to monitor the lawful use of drones. Ohio has thousands of registered Drones; therefore, the state also has to create laws.
The Ohio legislature created a committee to oversee aerospace and aviation technology. The committee consists of twenty-one members;
This committee was created under House Bill 292 Trusted SourceHouse Bill 292 | The Ohio Legislature www.legislature.ohio.gov .
The duties of this committee include but are not limited to;
You must request permission by notifying the State Airport air traffic control and airport operators if you plan to fly within a 30-minute radius or 5 minutes of the airport.
Air Traffic Control Tower – 614-292-99834
Local laws in some counties prohibit the flight of drones over certain locations. Some of these bans can be lifted by the county head.
The flying of drones above city-owned properties and parks is prohibited. The executive director can give a permission letter under certain circumstances.
The police enforce FAA regulations. This is to preserve the citizens’ privacy rights and promote public safety.
The city of Cincinnati prohibits drones from flying over public spaces such as the Parks except with written permission by the park boards.
It is forbidden to fly drones over parks except with the procurement of a special permit from the county’s Executive Director. However, this law exempts Law enforcement and first responders operating within the line of duty.
The city of Celina prohibits the flight of Drones over public owned properties like parks and libraries.
Drone Operations, either for commercial or recreational purposes, are forbidden in Hamilton’s parks. To fly a drone over Hamilton’s parks, pilots need written official authorization from the CEO. This can be obtained by applying and submitting a Private Drone Application form or a commercial drone usage application for recreational and commercial pilots.
The FAA Regulation applies differently for recreational and commercial flow drones. The part 107 rules is the section of the FAA guidelines covering the operation of all UAVs in the United States.
Unless otherwise stated by the park or state authorities, Federal law legalizes flying above state parks.
The State of Ohio is beautiful, and there are dozens of places to enjoy a flight on your drone.
This is a designated flying area by the Ohio State government. The scenery is best enjoyed and captured with drones like Ruko foldable gesture control drone.
Chagrin falls has been said to be one of the best places to fly a drone in Ohio. The view is awesome, and a quality camera captures the best view. You can get a fantastic drone with fantastic camera quality for under 2000 dollars here.
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about drones.
The FAA has defined a UAS as an aircraft that can be operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the plane. Simply put, it’s an aircraft that can be operated remotely.
A UAS can perform tasks such as capturing images, recording footage, and collecting weather information.
Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), Small UAS, Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (SUAS), Remote Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) are all interchangeable terms for a Drone.
Contrary to what many believe, you do not have to break the bank to purchase a drone, especially if you fly it for recreational reasons.
Drones are as cheap as below fifty dollars and are excellent for beginner pilots and children.
Drone Laws are constantly changing. Updated rules and regulations concerning drone usage can be found on the FAA site Trusted SourceUnmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) www.faa.gov . If Federal laws conflict with state drone laws in Ohio or local laws, Federal law takes precedence.
While state, local, or federal laws guide the flying of drones, it is an offense to fly a drone over private property without permission from the owner.
When flying a drone, your number one rule should be respect for the privacy of others and safety of other aircraft in aerospace.
You are required as an individual to respect people’s privacy and their rights to their space when flying your drone. Therefore, the general law is that you are required to be a responsible individual.