Ohio Drone Laws
As a commercial drone services provider located in Cleveland, Ohio, we know a thing or two about flying in this state. One of the questions we get asked often is whether you can fly at a specific location in Cleveland. See our blog post Where to Fly Drones in Cleveland for that information.
Drone flights in Ohio are subject to FAA regulations for operating in the national airspace. However, Ohio has also introduced a state-level drone law in April 2025 (HB 77) focused on unsafe operations and public safety, which pilots should be aware of in addition to FAA rules. Besides that some municipalities are enacting their own ordinances for drone use, but these should only apply to launching and landing locations, as local municipalities don't control airspace. We recommend checking your city/county for any such drone restrictions.
FAA Part 107 Regulations
Under FAA regulations you must have either a TRUST Test Certificate (for hobbyists) or a Part 107 Drone License Certificate (for commercial drone pilots) to fly drones in Ohio. We offer Part 107 Prep classes locally as a 2-day in-person class that prepares anyone to take and pass the test. See our Drone Training to learn more about available classes and read our student testimonials (over 95% of students pass the Part 107 Test after taking our classes!).
Are There Drone Flight Restrictions in Ohio?
In addition to federal FAA regulations, Ohio now has a state-level drone law that pilots should be aware of.
Ohio House Bill 77 (HB 77) took effect in April 2025 and introduces penalties for unsafe or reckless drone operations within the state. While the FAA continues to control airspace, HB 77 focuses on how drones are used — particularly when public safety or critical infrastructure is involved.
Under HB 77, pilots can face fines or criminal penalties for flying drones in a reckless manner that endangers people or property, interfering with active emergency response operations, or intentionally flying near certain “critical facilities.” These facilities may include police stations, prisons, hospitals with helipads, power plants, utilities, or secure government and military sites.
For most recreational and commercial pilots who already follow FAA rules, HB 77 does not change how you fly day to day. Instead, it reinforces the importance of situational awareness — especially around emergency scenes and sensitive locations — and adds state-level consequences for unsafe behavior.
As always, flying responsibly, maintaining visual line of sight, checking airspace before each flight, and avoiding emergency operations will help ensure compliance with both FAA regulations and Ohio law. You can learn more details about the specifics of this bill in our blog post Ohio’s New Drone Law (HB 77): What Hobbyists, Drone Professionals, and First Responders Should Know.
Besides the state law the federal FAA regulations may require you to gain special authorizations based on the airspace you intend to fly in (Class B, C, D, E). To learn when and how to apply for FAA authorization to fly your drone in a certain restricted airspace, see our blog post Where Can I Fly My Drone that includes a tutorial on how to do this through LAANC.
In addition, you cannot fly over moving traffic, over people, or during a VIP (like a president landing at an airport) or a sporting event where there is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place. A TFR is typically active for all open-air stadium NFL, NCAA and MLB games from one hour prior to the game start to one hour after the game ends. These rules do get enforced, see this article about drone pilots pleading guilty to illegal Ohio stadium flights in 2023. And now this type of violation has real legal consequences with the new Ohio HB 77 drone law.
Can You Fly a Drone in Ohio State Parks and Cleveland Metroparks?
As a rule of thumb, national parks do not allow drone use on their properties. Some Metroparks have enacted the same ordinance, so you should check with the specific Metropark system. There are several designated areas where you can fly your drone in the Cleveland Metroparks, see details in their Drone Policy.
Municipal parks don't have the same restrictions usually but check with the specific park and municipality before flying your drone.
Drone Registration
If you want to fly your drone in Ohio (and anywhere else in the United States), you are required to register your drone if it is 0.55 lbs or larger if you fly as a hobbyist, and all drones (regardless of weight) if you operate commercially (under Part 107). You can register your drone on the FAA DroneZone website. The cost for registration is $5 and is valid for three years.
So, if you have checked off all necessary registrations, FAA Airspace Authorizations, and hold an appropriate FAA certificate, you are ready to fly. Now to the fun part, where can you fly your drone in Ohio? We've compiled some of our favorite locations in Cleveland where we frequently fly, see them in the Where to Fly Your Drone in Cleveland blog post.
Where can I fly my drone?
I get this question all the time. Mostly when people see me fly my drone downtown Cleveland, Ohio, (and anywhere else). There is still a lot of confusion as to where you are legally allowed to fly.
There are 2 types of drone operators – hobbyists (recreational) and commercial operators (Part 107 license holders, like myself). As a reminder, drones are legally defined as aircraft, so their operations are subject to regulation by the FAA. This regulation applies to both recreational and commercial operations and ALL drone pilots are required to know the type of airspace they plan to fly in.
Commercial drone operators (with Part 107 certification) are required to learn and understand much more about operations within the NAS (National Airspace), and it is a major part of the FAA knowledge test for remote pilot certification. The same goes for the hobbyist drone pilots: as of 2021 they are required to take the TRUST test, preparation for which gives them basic information about the airspace types (see my TRUST test blog post for more information on that)
Types of United States National Airspace (NAS)
When planning a drone flight, you need to determine what type of airspace you are intending to fly in. If it is controlled airspace (Class B, C, D, or certain areas of E) then you will need to get FAA authorization to fly in these areas. Controlled airspace is typically found within 5 miles of an airport that has a control tower in operation.
How can I check what type of airspace I am in?
There are several ways to check what type of airspace you are intending to fly in. The easiest way is with an app that was developed in conjunction with the FAA, called B4UFLY. It provides drone pilots with a status indicator based on their current or planned location in relation to airspace restrictions. Of course, there may be additional restrictions, such as state and local regulations, that may not be shown on the app.
There are a variety of other apps available for drone pilots, including Airmap, UASidekick, and Aloft to name a few, which help determine the airspace type and the ability to request FAA flight authorizations through the app.
Uncontrolled airspace drone flight operations
As the name implies, you won’t need additional FAA authorization if you are in uncontrolled airspace. You are free to fly there, as long as you comply with basic drone operation rules (flying under 400’, not flying over people or traffic, and not interfering with traffic patterns of takeoff and landing areas, if near an airport).
How to get FAA Authorizations to fly in controlled airspace
If you’ve determined that you are going to be flying in controlled airspace (Class A, B, C, D, etc.) you must apply for an airspace authorization for altitudes below the posted UAS Facility Map grid altitudes (this applies to both recreational and commercial drone pilots)
You can get these authorizations through a variety of apps (mentioned above) that are LAANC (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability) service providers, which were developed in collaboration with the FAA and the industry.
If you are unable to get authorization through the LAANC network, you will have to get authorization through the FAA DroneZone.
You can probably figure out where to go from here with the information and the links I provided, but if you want more detail and are more of a visual learner, I uploaded a video tutorial on getting drone flight authorizations through the LAANC and DroneZone on my V1DroneMedia YouTube channel.
Can I get an FAA Authorization through the DJI Fly Safe Website?
No, getting an FAA Authorization is a separate step from unlocking a DJI Fly Safe No Fly Geo Zone. I explain the difference and give the tutorial on how to unlock the DJI Fly Safe No Fly Zones in my What is DJI Fly Safe blog post.
Can I fly my drone downtown Cleveland?
If you are specifically looking to fly downtown Cleveland (since I am local, I will elaborate on this subject), you will most likely be flying in Class D (controlled) airspace. This controlled airspace exists due to Burke Lakefront airport being located in downtown Cleveland and encompasses a 5 miles radius around the airport. You will need to check the LAANC system to determine if the specific spot you are looking to fly in is within that controlled airspace and if so, you will need to get an FAA authorization to fly there. Simple, right?
Something else to be aware of when flying downtown Cleveland is the fact that there may be TFRs (Temporary Flight Restrictions) in effect – typically in effect if there is a Cleveland Indians game – TFR prohibits any drone flying during that time.
I have a few spots I tend to fly at often around Cleveland, and you can read my post Where To Fly Drones in Cleveland to learn where that is.
I hope you have a bit more clarity now about flying at your desired location. Comment here or on my YouTube video if you’ve found this helpful, and contact me if you have more questions or have a topic in mind that you’d like to learn more about. Have a safe flight!