Missouri Drone Laws

State Drone Laws

The Missouri Department of Transportation and the Missouri General Assembly are responsible for overseeing the drone laws for this state. Presently, there are no state drone laws for Missouri.

Local Drone Laws

The implementation of Local drone laws is limited to certain regions, cities, counties or towns in the state of Missouri. Presently, there are three local drone laws in Missouri.

Jackson County – Ord. 1447, Ch. 50 // 2015

This law is only applicable within the Jackson County, Missouri. According to this law [1]:

If a person wishes to operate their drone within the premises of any Jackson County Park, they must obtain a permit from Jackson County. Having a liability insurance is one of the key requirements for obtaining this permit.
If a person wishes to operate a radio controlled unmanned aircraft system, then they are liable to display the channel numbers and frequency bands on their transmitters for the entirety of their drone operation.
It is strictly prohibited to operate a radio controlled unmanned aircraft system that has sound levels higher than 98 decibels. These sound levels are measured on a weighted scale from a distance of at least 50 feet.

Louis City Parks—Municipal Code

This law is only implementable in the city St. Louis, Missouri. According to this law, a permit is required from the City of St. Louis Board of Public Permit for operating an unmanned aircraft system within any parks in this city [2]. In order to obtain this permit, the following documents need to be submitted:

A formal application
A copy of the person’s pilot licence
The specs of the drone
A $1 million insurance certificate

City of Columbia—Municipal Code // 2018

This law is only applicable within the city of Columbia. According to this law, it is prohibited to operate an unmanned aircraft system within the premises of any parks in the city [3]. Drone operations are only permitted in areas that are specially designed for them. This law can be exempted if a special permit is obtained from the Director.

Federal Drone Laws

These laws are enforced by the Federal Government and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the US. These laws have to be obeyed by every state, including Missouri. They are further categorized into three groups [4].

For Operating a Drone Commercially

If a person wishes to operate an unmanned aircraft system for commercial use, then they must follow these three steps:

The first step is to learn all the Part 107 rules given by the Federal Aviation Administration. With the help of these rules, the drone pilots become aware of all the restrictions imposed on them for operating a drone commercially.
The second step is to obtain certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. This certification is obtained by passing the Aeronautical Knowledge Test which is conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration. In this test, topics like radio communication, emergency operation, maintenance of drones, the impact of weather on UAS, and loading are included.
The third requirement for operating a drone commercially is to get your drone registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. This registration is valid for three years and costs around $5.00. It is recommended to display the allocated registration number on the unmanned aerial vehicle in order to make it easier to identify the drone in case it gets lost or stolen.

Flying a Drone for Recreational Purposes

If a person wishes to operate an unmanned aircraft system as a recreational hobby, then they must follow the Recreational Model Aircraft laws imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA Re-Authorization act of 2018 is also considered as a guide for drone hobbyists. Some of the recreational flying rules are as follows:

It is prohibited to fly an unmanned aerial vehicle directly above a person without their permission.
It is compulsory to get your drone registered with the Federal Aviation Administration if it weighs more than 0.55 lbs.
It is compulsory to keep the altitude of the drone below 400 feet.
Drone hobbyists are only allowed to operate their drone in Class G airspace.
A special permit is required for operating an unmanned aircraft system in any airspace other than Class G.
It is necessary to always keep the drone within your line of sight.

For Operating a Drone As a Government Employee

If government employees wish to operate an unmanned aerial vehicle, then they have two options i.e. they can either operate under FAA’s Part 107 rules, or they can obtain a Federal Certificate of Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration. The following rules are included in Part 107:

It is compulsory to obtain a remote pilot certification by passing the Aeronautical Knowledge Test.
Government operators are only allowed to fly a drone during day time. A special permit is required for operating at night time.
It is prohibited to exceed the altitude of 400 feet.
Government operators are required to get their drone registered with the Federal Aviation Administration.
It is compulsory for government employees to operate their unmanned aircraft systems only within Class G airspace. A permit is required for operating in any other airspace.

Drone Regulation Compliance Tips

The following rules and regulations are followed universally while operating a drone:

It is prohibited to operate an unmanned aircraft system near places where emergency operations are underway. These operations include search and rescue missions, police missions, firefighting missions etc.
It is recommended to always keep your unmanned aerial vehicle within your line of sight. Flying behind buildings and trees can increase the probability of accidents.
It is prohibited to operate an unmanned aircraft system near an airport or a manned aircraft in order to avoid the risk of accidents.
Drone pilots are required to operate only one drone at a time. This rule is included in the Civil Aviation Safety Laws of several countries.