Drone Laws in Ohio – Know Your Rights and Responsibilities

We consider federal, state, and local laws regulating drone flying in Ohio, as well as when and how you should register your drone
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Last updatedLast updated: January 25, 2024
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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 Source Federal 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.

Drone Registration in Ohio

To be eligible to fly any UAV in the United States, your drone needs to be registered according to the FAA regulations Trusted Source FAA 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.

Every visitor to the US must register their drones before operation, either for commercial or recreational flight. Failure to register can attract a fine of $27500. That’s $5 to save you a lot of trouble and money.

Federal Drone Laws in Ohio

Proximity to Airports

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.

Drone Laws in Ohio – Know Your Rights and ResponsibilitiesCommercial Drone Operations

Eligibility as a commercial drone pilot requires that;

  1. Pilot must be able to read, write and speak in English.
  2. Pilot should be in an excellent physical and mental state.
  3. Pilot is a minimum of sixteen years old.

The pilot is required to create an IACRA profile Trusted Source IACRA - 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.

Drone Laws in Ohio – Know Your Rights and ResponsibilitiesRecreational Drone Operations

The following laws guide the usage of a drone for recreational purposes.

  • The FAA requires recreational drone pilots to take The Recreational UAS safety Trust (TRUST)
  • Do not fly above 400 feet in controlled airspace. (Class C, D, E)
  • Give way to and do not interfere with the activities of crewed aircraft.
  • It is an offense to interfere with your flight, the activities of law enforcement or emergency response.
  • It is against federal laws to shoot down a drone.
  • It is an offense to fly over a group of people, stadium, or public event (unauthorized).
  • Always fly your Drone within a visual line of sight or use a co-located visual observer standing next to you and in direct communication with you.
  • Do not fly under the influence of alcohol or other psychoactive substances.
  • To prevent accidents, do not fly drones in unclear (cloudy, snowy, stormy) weather. If you must, there are Drones designed to fly in cold weather

As a government employee (Police, Firefighter), you can fly a Drone in the state of Ohio.

Drone Laws in Ohio – Know Your Rights and ResponsibilitiesState Drone Laws in 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;

  • three of which are members of the senate appointed by the senate president with not more than two being members of the same political party
  • three members of the house appointed by the speaker of the house with not more than two being members of the same political party, and
  • the governor appoints one of the other fifteen members. The rest are selected by a majority vote of the six members representing the senate and house of representatives from academia, military, aviation, and aerospace industries.

This committee was created under House Bill 292 Trusted Source House Bill 292 | The Ohio Legislature www.legislature.ohio.gov .

The duties of this committee include but are not limited to;

  1. The study and development of comprehensive strategies to promote the state’s aerospace, aviation, and technology industry. This includes the commercialization of aerospace, aviation, technology products, and ideas.
  2. Encourage communication and resource sharing among individuals and organizations involved in the aviation, aerospace, and technology industry, including the military, business, and academia.
  3. Promotion of research and development in the aviation and aerospace industry, including the research and development of UAVs.
  4. Provision of assistance related to military base realignment and closure.

Flying on Government’s Property

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.

The Ohio State University Airport – 614-292-5460 KOSU

Air Traffic Control Tower – 614-292-99834

Local Drone Laws in Ohio

Local laws in some counties prohibit the flight of drones over certain locations. Some of these bans can be lifted by the county head.

Anderson

The flying of drones above city-owned properties and parks is prohibited. The executive director can give a permission letter under certain circumstances.

Cleveland Municipal

The police enforce FAA regulations. This is to preserve the citizens’ privacy rights and promote public safety.

Cincinnati

The city of Cincinnati prohibits drones from flying over public spaces such as the Parks except with written permission by the park boards.

Butler County

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.

Celina

The city of Celina prohibits the flight of Drones over public owned properties like parks and libraries.

Hamilton

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.

FAA Regulation

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.

Best Places to Fly Drones in Ohio

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.

Scioto Grove Metro Park

Drone Laws in Ohio – Know Your Rights and ResponsibilitiesThis 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

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.

Drone Laws in Ohio – Know Your Rights and ResponsibilitiesFAQs

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about drones.

What is the difference between a UAS and a UAV?

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.

How expensive is 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.

Final Thoughts

Drone Laws are constantly changing. Updated rules and regulations concerning drone usage can be found on the FAA site Trusted Source Unmanned 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.

References

1.
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is an operating mode of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
2.
FAA Regulations
4.
IACRA - Federal Aviation Administration
5.
House Bill 292 | The Ohio Legislature
6.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
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