In the United States, areas where drones cannot fly are strictly limited according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the laws of each state and city.

These primarily include security, safety, military, around airports, and densely populated areas.

FAA Restricted Areas (No-Fly Zones)

• Within 5 miles (about 8 km) of an airport: Areas around airports are mostly restricted Class B, C, D, E airspace. (e.g., LAX, JFK, ATL, etc.)

• Military bases and training areas:

  • e.g., Area 51 (Nevada), Edwards Air Force Base (California)

• Around the White House, Capitol, and Pentagon (Washington D.C.)

  • D.C. Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA): No flying within approximately 30 miles radius

• National Parks:

  • e.g., Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, etc. (prohibited by NPS policy)

• Disaster areas:

  • Areas declared as emergencies due to wildfires, floods, hurricanes, etc.

• Certain sports stadiums and events:

  • No flying within 3 miles during MLB, NFL, NCAA games, and NASCAR events (Temporary Flight Restriction, TFR)

Urban and densely populated areas

• Manhattan, New York: Commercial/recreational flights are prohibited throughout the city

• Downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood Boulevard, around famous tourist spots (no flying without permission)

• Las Vegas Strip: Mostly prohibited except for commercial filming

Around infrastructure and critical facilities

Areas around power plants, refineries, dams, bridges, communication towers, prisons, and hospital helipads are also no-fly zones.

In the U.S., violations of drone flight regulations can result in penalties ranging from fines to criminal charges.

The severity of the punishment varies greatly depending on the intent, degree of violation, and occurrence of damage.

In 2022, a man was fined $20,000 for flying a drone in a no-fly zone in Manhattan, New York.

In 2023, a case where a drone was flown at a California wildfire site obstructing firefighting helicopters resulted in a $25,000 fine and a 6-month prison sentence.