Wasco Municipal Code Ch. 8.60 Drones and Unmanned Aircraft

Sections: 8.60.010 Purpose and intent. 8.60.020 Definitions. 8.60.030 Registration required. 8.60.040 Operating requirements and restrictions. 8.60.050 Exemptions. 8.60.060 Violations.

This chapter is intended to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the public through the provision of regulations on recreational unmanned aircraft (UAs), commonly known as drones, operations which will maintain privacy and quality of life to residents and visitors through education and enforcement of drone operations within the city limits. This chapter is not intended to preempt FAA rules for recreational use of drones, but to provide regulations in conjunction with those rules to promote public safety and privacy while recognizing the limitations in the FAA’s enforcement capabilities. (Ord. 708 §1, 2020).

For the purposes of this chapter, the following words, phrases, and terms shall have the meanings set forth as follows:

"Daylight hours" means the hours of the day between the official sunrise and official sunset for local time.

"Drone" means any unmanned aircraft (UA).

"FAA" means the Federal Aviation Administration.

"Operate" means the actions taken by an operator of a drone including take-off, landing, and control of drone height, speed and direction.

"Person" means any individual, partnership, corporation or joint venture.

"Physical invasion of privacy" means the operation of a drone to knowingly enter the airspace above the private property of another person without permission.

"Public drone or UA" means a drone that is used or operated on behalf of any government agency that meets the qualifications as defined in Section 40102 of Title 49 of the United States Code to operate a public aircraft.

"Recreational unmanned aircraft or drone" means a drone used for recreational purposes and weighing not more than fifty-five pounds and not less than 0.55 pounds.

"Special event" means any event held in a public park or open-air facility, private property, or commercial/ industrial facility that is open to the public and intended to attract people. This includes but is not limited to sporting events, concerts, festivals, farmer’s markets, and other similar events.

"Unmanned aircraft system" means an aircraft without a human pilot onboard, that is controlled from an operator on the ground, and operates without the possibility of direct human intervention from within, or on, the aircraft.

"Visual line of sight" means that the operator has an unobstructed view of the drone he/she is operating. The operator must use his/her own natural vision (which includes vision corrected by standard eyeglasses or contact lenses) to observe the drone. People other than the operator may not be used in lieu of the operator for maintaining visual line of sight. The use of vision-enhancing devices such as binoculars, night vision goggles, or other devices designed to provide a "first-person view" of the drone does not constitute a visual line of sight of the operator. (Ord. 708 §1, 2020).

A. No person shall operate a drone within the city without first registering the drone with the city and obtaining a city registration number assigned by the city. Registrants must be at least thirteen years of age.

B. Registration. An application for drone registration shall be on a form provided by the city and shall include the following information:

1. Name, address, and phone number of the operator;

2. Make, model and serial or N number of the drone to be registered;

3. Copy of certificate of aircraft registration/proof of ownership issued by the FAA;

4. A signed statement certifying that the applicant knows how to operate the drone and agrees to operate
it in full compliance with the provisions of this chapter and any other federal or state laws governing its
operations;

5. A signed statement acknowledging that only the applicant may operate the drone within the city (this
registration is not transferable);

6. A signed indemnification clause protecting the city from liability;

7. Proof of liability insurance in the amount of one million dollars naming the city of Wasco as an
additionally insured (for commercial operators only).

C. Revocation. The drone registration may be revoked if the city manager, or his/her designee, finds, based on a preponderance of evidence, and after the recipient of the registration is afforded notice and an opportunity to be heard, that the registration recipient/operator has violated any provision of this chapter. A decision of the city manager may be appealed to the city council, and the decision of the city council shall be final. (Ord. 708 §1, 2020).

A. No person shall operate any drone within the city in a manner that interferes with piloted aircraft, and drones shall always give way to any piloted aircraft.

B. No person shall operate any drone within the City in controlled air space near or around an existing airport without first getting written permission from air traffic control.

C. No person shall operate any drone within the city beyond the visual line of sight of the person operating the drone, as defined in Section 8.60.020.

D. No person shall operate any drone within the city other than during daylight hours, as defined in Section 8.60.020.

E. No person shall operate any drone within the city more than four hundred feet above the earth’s surface.

F. No person shall takeoff or operate a drone from private property without the consent of the property owner.

G. No person shall weaponize a drone or operate a weaponized drone within the city.

H. No person shall operate a drone while under the influence of alcohol or drugs that impair the ability of such person to operate a drone.

I. Excluding takeoff and landing, no person shall operate any drone within the city closer than twenty-five feet to any individual, except the operator or the operator’s helper(s).

J. No person shall operate any drone within the city to capture, record, or transmit any visual image or audio recording of any person or private real property located in the city under circumstances in which the subject person or owner of the subject property has a reasonable expectation of privacy. This provision is intended to supplement rather than duplicate the prohibition against trespassing into the air space above the land of a person in order to capture any type of visual image or sound recording of a person engaging in a private, personal, or familial activity in a manner that is offensive to a reasonable person, pursuant to California Civil Code Section 1708.8.

K. No person shall operate any drone within the city in violation of any temporary flight restriction or "Notice to Airmen" issued by the FAA.

L. No person shall operate any drone in a manner that interferes with firefighting, police activity, or emergency response activity as detailed in California Penal Code Section 402 and shall in no event fly any closer than five hundred feet of any emergency vehicle while operating with lights and/or sirens, or any active law enforcement or emergency response incident.

M. No person shall operate any drone within the air space overlying a special event within the city, as defined in Section 8.60.020, or a community park without prior written notification and authorization of the event organizer and property owner.

N. No person shall operate any drone within five hundred feet of a school facility without prior written notification and authorization of school officials.

O. No person shall operate any drone with five hundred feet of any publicly owned buildings or facilities without prior written notification and authorization of the public entity. (Ord. 708 §1, 2020).

A. This chapter shall not apply to any publicly owned drones operated for government agency purposes.

B. This chapter shall not apply to any drone weighing less than 0.55 pounds. (Ord. 708 §1, 2020).

It is unlawful for any person to violate or fail to comply with this chapter. Any person violating the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty as follows:

A. Operating any drone without first registering said drone with the city pursuant to Section 8.60.030 shall be an infraction subject to fines per Section 1.08.030, Penalty--Infraction.

B. Violation of any of the other provisions of this chapter shall be a misdemeanor subject to fines per Section 1.08.020, Penalty--Misdemeanor. (Ord. 708 §1, 2020).

The Wasco Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 731, passed August 5, 2025.

Disclaimer: The city clerk’s office has the official version of the Wasco Municipal Code. Users should contact the city clerk’s office for ordinances passed subsequent to the ordinance cited above.

City Website: www.cityofwasco.org

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