Colorado Drone Laws
With its wide-open space and picturesque natural scenery, Colorado provides ample opportunities for avid drone hobbyists. Commercial drone operators may also find plenty of reasons to flock to this state. First, you’ll have to become acquainted with the local, state, and federal laws that apply to you, however.
Drones use isn’t too heavily regulated in Colorado, but there are still some rules and regulations you need to be aware of if you want to stay out of trouble. Take a look at this up to date list of drone-related laws in the state of Colorado.
State Drone Laws
These state laws were created by the Colorado General Assembly and apply to all drone flyers in the state regardless of where you are. They supersede any local regulations in the event that there is a conflicting law, and are enforced by local law enforcement.
Colorado State Parks Regulation – Article 1, Section #100
This state parks regulation makes it illegal to take off or land on any Parks and Outdoor Recreation lands and waters, unless with proper authorization or during an emergency. It also makes it illegal to operate a drone in state parks outside of designated areas.
There are some parks that designate their model airfields (where available) as drone areas while the rest of the park is off-limits. Some parks only offer special use permits, which you have to apply for before you can fly there. Although these are usually also only made available to commercial flyers.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife – 2 CCR 406-0
This regulatory code makes it unlawful to use a drone for assisting with scouting or detecting wildlife while hunting.
This bill isn’t directly applicable to recreational or commercial flyers, but instead makes requests of the Center of Excellence, which is part of the division of fire prevention and control within the department of public safety. Essentially, it requires that the center conduct a study to look at the viability of the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in state and local government agencies. This mainly relates to emergency services like firefighting, crime scene documentation, and search and rescue. It also states that a report had to be handed in no later than a month after completing the study.
Along with those specifications, this law also created a drone pilot program that has to deploy at least one team of people to operate a UAS at an area that has been listed as a fire hazard to be trained in UAS use.
Local Drone Laws
These local laws only apply to the specific cities, towns, counties, and areas they refer to.
Boulder: Open Space and Mountain Parks Regulations
This city ordinance prevents drones from being launched, landed, or operated in any Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) park or managed property. The county does make an exception for search and rescue activities, public land and wildlife management, and research activities using drones. These activities require a special permit that can be applied for on the local government website.
Cherry Hills: Ordinance No. 13
The first part of this municipal law requires that everyone abide by the FAA’s rules and guidelines, and register their drone with the FAA. It is a tad unnecessary since federal law already makes this a requirement, but the second part of the law is important to take note of. The second part states that drones may not be flown over city property, which includes buildings, streets, parks, and trails.
Denver: Denver Department of Parks and Recreation Regulation 5-27-15 Section 14.3
This municipal law prohibits drones (among other things) from being flown or operated in any Denver park facility. The Denver Department of Parks and Recreation does make exceptions for park facility areas that have been designated for recreational flyers. So long as you stick to the rules and regulations of that park. The other exception is for drone operators who get a permit or a contract with the city to operate a drone during events or activities in a specific location. These permits will often also have specific rules that the operator has to comply with.
Telluride: Ordinance No. 1449
This ordinance has several important parts to keep in mind. Here they are (summarized):
- Part 1: Drone owners aren’t allowed to operate drones over private property without obtaining express consent from the town council or property owners first.
- Part 2: It is unlawful to operate a drone in any way that endangers people, wildlife, livestock, or property. Drone operators also aren’t allowed to fly their drones in a reckless manner or while under the influence of alcohol or other substances.
- Part 3: Drones may not be operated on or over any town property without prior authorization from the town manager. This includes a list of areas like buildings, streets, parking lots, playgrounds, trails, parks (includes the Telluride Town Park), and open spaces (includes Bear Creek Preserve and the Valley Floor).
Federal Drone Laws
The Federal Aviation Association (FAA) is responsible for enacting and upholding the federal drone laws in the US. The FAA makes a distinction between recreational and commercial flyers and has separate rules and regulations for each.
Recreational Flyers
Right now, the only requirement for being able to fly a drone is unmanned aircraft that weigh under 0.55 lbs have to be registered with the FAA and labeled with the registration number before their first flight. The FAA is also planning to add an aeronautical knowledge and safety test. There are a number of rules that flyers have to comply with as well, including flying below 400 feet and not flying in a reckless manner. A full list of rules is available on the FAA’s website.
Commercial Flyers
In addition to registering and labeling their drones, commercial flyers also have to pass an aeronautical knowledge test and obtain a drone pilot’s license. They also have to comply with Part 107 rules, which state (among other things) that drone operators may only fly during daylight hours, have to stick to class G airspace without a permit, and have to keep their drone within eyesight at all times.
