Can You Fly a Drone in Big Sur? (Drone Laws in Big Sur 2024)
If you want to see the mountains stopping the sea from going above, then you need to visit Big Sur. There are also places where you can see gray whales, fog-banked canyons and elephant seals.
The Big Sur place is for you to visit. Big Sur has so much mountainous area, which is lovely for the people who do hiking.
There are only mountains in Big Sur and the shores where you can have peace and grab some fantastic videos footages and photos taken with a drone.
There are also parks and resorts where you can stay and experience the beauty of nature in the shape of mountains.
When you are in Big Sur, taking photos of the mountains and flying a drone in a mountainous way is another lovely experience. This experience is not available anywhere else.
The short ways the trees and up and downs while flying a drone will give you some exciting challenges.
Also, you can see the other side of the mountains with your drone and see the animals and the whole of Big Sur with your drone.
So after talking so much about the beauty of Big Sur now, let’s come to the point. Today’s article asks: can you fly a drone in Big Sur?
Before going deep into the explanation of our question, let me give you a quick answer so that you can understand the description easily.
In this article, I will also cover some of the fundamental related questions and the questions that can come to your mind.
Can you fly a drone in Big Sur?
You can fly a drone in specific areas in Big Sur, but most sites don’t allow flying a drone there. If you have the authorities’ permission, you can fly your drone in Big Sur. All drone rule-controlling powers in Big Sur don’t allow anybody to fly a drone.
Make sure to answer a few more questions accurately. If you have any questions yourself, stick around and keep reading.
Can you Legally Fly Your Drone in Big Sur?
Explore the stunning mountains of Big Sur with a drone for a unique perspective. Kindly be advised that drone operations are prohibited in this designated area. We recommend appreciating the scenery from ground level to comply with regulations.
The authorities, like FAA and other national park management, do not allow flying a drone in Big Sur.
Some state laws in California don’t allow flying a drone in Big Sur. Maritime regulatory authorities actively prohibit operating drones in close proximity to the shores of Big Sur.
The conclusion is that flying a drone in Big Sur is not legally allowed, but there are some chances you can explore for drone usage.
The first opportunity for you to fly your drone in Big Sur is if you are flying your drone on someone’s property or near the property, then you need to meet that person and ask permission to allow you to fly the drone there.
Who controls the areas?
If that person doesn’t let you, you cannot fly it.
Flying drone in Big Sur without asking permission is illegal, and the government and all the authorities also don’t like anybody to fly a drone there.
The national forest management authorities assert control over the majority of Big Sur’s area, expressly prohibiting the use of drones within these forested domains.
Some areas are also under park management, which doesn’t allow flying a drone in Big Sur. So the main reason why flying drones in Big Sur is that different authorities control the area of Big Sur. You can still make your drone fly legally in Big Sur.
Adhering to certain rules and regulations reduces the likelihood of encountering issues when flying a drone in Big Sur. All these chances are down below.
Are There ANY Chances of flying Drones in Big Sur?
Numerous rules governing drone flights in Big Sur imply permission for flying drones in this magnificent mountainous region, providing opportunities to capture stunning video footage.
Let’s know some of the options where you can fly your drone.
As you know, an authority in California controls all the film commissions. From this authority, you will need a permit and also pay a commission.
Along with the commissions, you will also need to get the license because that is the only evidence you will have.
Obtaining a permit is a challenging job. If you want to get the license to fly a drone in Big Sur, you will also have to wait for some time and receive the approval.
The time could change into days or weeks, so be patient. You will also need to get your commercial drone pilot certificate and permit.
Big Sur Drone Rules
When you have your commercial drone pilot certificate and the permit, you can fly your drone, but remember that flying your drone without these permits is a crime.
The only crucial tip is that flying a drone in the Big Sur with the licenses in your pocket or your drone bag only makes sense.
When you fly your drone in Big Sur boundaries, ensure your drone license and all the documents are with you.
When you fly your drone in Big Sur boundaries, ensure that your drone license and all the documents are with you so that whenever someone of authority comes to check on you, you will be safe.
With all the permits, you should also be an agent of any agency, like a police officer or related to any other government-related company’s personality. If you are, your laws will be changed because you are not an ordinary civilian.
You will need to be an official, not an imposter. Big Sur drone laws are stringent for everybody.
As I said before, if you are flying your drone on a property, you need permission from the property owner. It is a perfect chance for you to shoot videos of Big Sur.
After obtaining authorization, you also need to keep your drone away from people because some people don’t want to interfere with their privacy.
To fly a drone in Big Sur, you must contact the authority in which area you are flying your drone. If you want to fly your drone over the sea, you need to get permission from the marine authorities and vice versa.
READ MORE: Can you fly a drone in Death Valley?
Does National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Interfere in Flying Drone in Big Sur?
Yes, they do; some of the areas in Big Sur are managed through oceanic and atmospheric administrations.
So if you want to fly your drone in Big Sur, you need to get permission from these authorities. This authority doesn’t belong to control the drone rules in California, but it does.
Any authorization of place can manage the drone rules in their areas. The national oceanic and atmospheric administration stated that if anybody flies a drone in the Big Sur area(controlled by them) is violating the law of wildlife protection.
This authority keeps wildlife safe in Big Sur. Follow this rule and get permission from this authority to fly your drone to avoid being in danger.
This authority does not only controls the laws of drone; in fact, you are not allowed to fly any motorized vehicles that can disturb wildlife.
Is Big Sur in Wilderness Area, and is Flying a Drone allowed in it?
Yes, Big Sur is in a wilderness area and flying a drone there is not allowed. The Big Sur has two wilderness areas, and these areas are in which the Big Sur is located.
According to California and American laws, flying drones in any wilderness area is not allowed.
Now the question that can come to your mind is why the government doesn’t allow you to fly a drone in the forests.
Well, the simple answer is that the wilderness areas and all forests are the homes of wildlife. If you go to someone’s house and start disturbing him, then he will give some response.
Like, some animals in forests and wilderness areas are scarce species. So if you will disturb them with your drone’s noise, you will be violating the laws and teasing nature. So do not fly your drone near the wildlife or the areas where wildlife lives.
The Big Sur is the most significant home for the rare species, and the government and all the other authorities don’t want you to risk the species’ life.
Any drone or air-motorized vehicles cannot be flown in Big Sur. You will be in jail if you fly it, and your drone can also be confiscated.
What Does the California Department of Parks Say About Flying Drones in Big Sur?
According to the California department of parks flying a drone near natural reserves, cultural monuments, or any other wilderness area is not allowed and is strictly forbidden.
There are nature reserves in Big Sur, which are very important for everybody.
Big Sur is situated in a wilderness area, so you cannot fly your drone there according to that rule. Flying a drone in these areas is illegal, and the person who dares to fly his drone can regret it. Flying a drone near the highways is also not allowed.
Drones are allowed to fly in some parks, but parks in which some species live are not allowed. The rules and regulations change often, so you must be careful when flying a drone in a specific area of the park or any wilderness area.
The Big Sur is specially not allowed for drone flights. For government-related agencies, you need to get a certification from the park and explain why the government wants to fly a drone in the park.
So it is also evident that no matter what authority you have in person, you need to get permission to fly a drone in Big Sur.
If you still need to get the authorization and you are a police officer, then you are making even a big mistake for yourself. So be careful in flying a drone and following the authorities’ rules.
READ MORE: Can you fly a drone in Bryce Canyon?
Can You Fly a Drone in Big Sur Through Monterey County Film Commission?
The California film commission allows you to fly a drone anywhere in Big Sur. Still, you will again need permission from the film commission authority and the other administrators.
Those who get approval from the film commission and other sources fly a drone as commercial drone pilots.
So all the FAA drone rules will be applied to you, and you must follow them correctly. They have another exceptional authority: you should know everything about reading the maps and flying your drone in the permitted airspace.
Remote drone pilot license
You will also need to have your remote drone pilot license.
That license can be obtained by passing the exam in any school that teaches you how to fly a drone. You will need to pass an exam called part 107 FAA’ exam.
If there are some unique places where the authorities don’t allow you, then you should not fly your drone there, no matter if you have all the authorizations.
Special drone insurance is also required to solve any accident quickly. Check the place in Big Sur where you are flying a drone.
It doesn’t mean that you can fly your drone by taking permission from the film commission. If you are standing in someone’s place, you need to get permission from him.
After that, you need to know who controls the rules of the nearby area.
After getting all the permissions, you will be allowed to fly your drone in Big Sur legally; if any authority doesn’t let you fly your drone, then the permissions of the other sources won’t work.
If we talk about the sizing of the drone, then it doesn’t matter what size your drone is; it also doesn’t matter if it weighs less than 250g.
The only thing that matters is you should have a permit from all the authorities, and also you need to keep the laws of that specific place that are made to fly the drone safely.
Important FAQs
No, you are not allowed to fly your drone over a zoo. You must get zoo management permission to fly your drone over a zoo. If you fly your drone, then you will be disturbing the zoo animals and also can get fined.
Yes, you can fly your drone in big bear mountains. You can fly your drone, but it doesn’t mean there are no rules. There are some restrictions that you need to follow. According to the authorities, do not fly your drone near black bears.
No, you are not allowed to fly your drone at point reyes. If you don’t have permission to fly, you should not fly it. If you get the approval, following some rules, you can fly your drone at the point reyes.
Yes, you can fly your drone in balboa park, but you must follow all the FAA rules. If you don’t mind and break them, you can get yourself in jail.
No, you cannot fly your drone over a nature reserve. There are primarily animals’ homes, and you are not allowed to disturb the wildlife. Some species of animals are scarce. So the rules keep those animals safe.
If you want to read more about drone laws, then the latest ones of Big Sur. Then you can go to the official website and check the newest drone laws and what the park management and the other authorities say about it. Click here to visit the website.
Final Thoughts
California is full of beautiful places, one of which is Big Sur. Big Sur has almost all kinds of beauty that the outer world has.
There are resorts, animals to see, mountains, grounds and many other peaceful areas. If you want to relax your mind, you must visit Big Sur.
You can go to Big Sur and take photos and videos with your mobile phone or other digital cameras. With all this equipment, you can make perfect memories here.
But the question of today’s article was: Can you fly a drone in Big Sur? The answer to this question is concluded.
For recreational drone pilots, Big Sur is a no-fly zone. If you are a commercial drone pilot, you need to get authorization from the authorities.
After getting the approval, you will still need to follow all the drone rules. As I said in the intro, Big Sur has different animals.
If you fly your drone, then you can disturb the happy life of some near to distinct species. Do not fly your drone near wildlife.
To fly your drone in wilderness areas, you need special authorization from the national park management department.
So the question of today’s article was: can you fly a drone in Big Sur? If you have some other questions, you can ask them in the comment box, and we can solve them.
Have you ever visited Big Sur before? What was the remarkable thing about it?
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