Drone Laws in Connecticut

Connecticut has a myriad of sights and attractions, everything from the Mark Twain House to Gillette Castle State Park, the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, and the Weir Farm National Historical Park. If you’d like to fly your drone around this state, what are the rules?

Connecticut enforces drone laws on a federal, state, and local level. You’re prohibited from flying your UAV in state parks and state forests as well as in Greenwich.

If you want to learn more about flying a drone in the great state of Connecticut, this article will be your guide.

Ahead, we’ll walk you through the active drone laws in this state, so definitely keep reading!

Federal Drone Laws (that also apply in Connecticut) #

We’ll begin by talking about Connecticut’s federal drone laws, which are mandated by the United States government.

The federal laws apply to commercial drone pilots (those who use their drones for profit), agency drone pilots (state government employees), and recreational drone pilots (hobbyists).

Commercial Drone Pilots #

As a commercial drone pilot, the federal law in Connecticut mandates that you follow the Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107 rules.

These rules were created and are enforced by the FAA.

They cover all areas of drone flight, including the conditions for flight, one’s visual line of sight, physical and mental acuity when flying, allowed and disallowed drone flight zones, and times when you can fly versus those when you cannot.

Per the FAA, a commercial drone pilot must pass a 60-question exam that tests their knowledge in the above areas and more. Doing so earns you a certificate or license, which is good for two years from the date it’s issued.

» MORE: FAA Part 107 for Commercial Drone Pilots (Step-by-Step Guide)

To keep the license current, if you wish to continue flying your drone commercially, then you must take the exam again.

The FAA Part 107 exam lasts for a total of two hours and 30 minutes. A passing grade is a score of at least 70 percent.

Commercial drone pilots who register for the exam for the first time must be 16 or older, completely proficient in English, and deemed mentally and physically able to operate a UAV.

The test must be taken at an FAA-approved testing center and cannot be done online. It’s also not free to register for the test.

Agency Drone Pilots #

Connecticut’s fire department and police department employees are considered agency drone pilots. These government employees will fly a drone as necessary.

Doing so does not make these employees exempt from FAA Part 107 rules, so agency drone pilots are expected to be privy to those rules.

More so, agency drone pilots may be required to get a Certificate of Authorization or COA, an FAA-issued document that allows for special exemptions for drone usage.

Recreational Drone Pilots #

The last group of drone pilots subject to federal law in Connecticut is recreational drone pilots, or hobbyists.

These UAV pilots don’t use their drones for professional purposes but are still expected to follow FAA Part 107 rules at all times when operating their drones.

Recreational drone pilots often have to register their drones if the UAV weighs more than 0.55 pounds. The FAA offers a registration service that costs about $5 per drone.

Although recreational drone pilots don’t need a license, they’re still required to take an FAA exam called The Recreational UAS Safety Test.

» MORE: What Is the TRUST Test? (Everything You Need to Know)

The TRUST test is issued online for free. Correct answers are displayed when a question is answered incorrectly, which offers the chance for a perfect score.

A TRUST certificate is good for life unless you lose it. Then you have to retest!

State Drone Laws in Connecticut #

Moving on to Connecticut’s state drone laws next, the state has only two of them, DEEP §23-4-1 and SB 975.

That makes it even easier to brush up on what you need to know, so you don’t break the law when flying your drone in Connecticut.

DEEP §23-4-1 // 2017 #

DEEP §23-4-1 was created by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

This law makes it quite clear that you cannot use any “model aircraft,” including drones, in “Connecticut State Parks, State Forests, and other lands under the control of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.”

Some exceptions are allowed. One is if you have a Special Use License. Then you can fly more freely. The Commissioner can also grant you their permission to operate your drone.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection elaborates on why drones and remote-controlled aircraft aren’t allowed in Connecticut state parks and state forests. Drones, according to the organization, make a lot of noise.

That “infringes on the ability of other parkgoers to enjoy their visit to the park or forest.”

Additionally, the noise could upset local wildlife.

Regulations §23-4-1(b) protect against wildlife disruptions, while regulations §23-4-1(x) protect against noise disruptions for human parkgoers.

The other reason that drones and remote-controlled aircraft are not allowed in state parks and forests is that the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is concerned about property damage and injury risks. 

SB 975 // 2017 #

The other Connecticut drone law is SB 975, which was passed in 2017.

According to section (b), “No municipality shall enact or enforce an ordinance or resolution that regulates the ownership, possession, purchase, sale, use, transportation or operation of any commercial unmanned aircraft or otherwise regulate the ownership, possession, purchase, sale, use, transportation or operation of such aircraft.”

So far, so good, right? It sounds like you’re free and clear to fly your drone as you wish in Connecticut.

Well, not so fast. Section (b) of SB 975 finishes that statement by saying that, “except as otherwise authorized by state and federal law, and to the extent that they do not conflict with policies and procedures adopted by the Connecticut Airport Authority.”

In other words, state and federal law supersedes the first part of this rule and means that drone pilots are still beholden to laws such as DEEP §23-4-1 and the federal laws from the section prior.

Local Drone Laws in Connecticut #

Finally, let’s look at Connecticut’s local drone laws, of which there’s only one, the municipal code for Greenwich.

Town of Greenwich – Municipal Code // 1983 #

Since 1983, Greenwich’s municipal code has established what locals and tourists can and cannot do in Greenwich’s parks.

In Section 7-28. – Conduct and Behavior., 7. The law reads that “No person shall engage in motorized toy or model aviation, model boating or model automobiling, except at such times and at such places designated or maintained therefor by the Director or his agent.”

That’s the only statement in this long ordinance that mentions drones (and technically not specifically since drones weren’t so widely used back in the early 1980s), but it’s still a wholly important rule.

You cannot use your drone in a Greenwich park without special permission from the Director or when flying in a designated area. Whether these parks have a designated area for drone flight is unclear by the law alone.

Connecticut Drone Law FAQs #

Are you not quite sure about some of the drone laws in Connecticut, but you want to be crystal clear before you launch your drone into the skies?

This section will surely help!

Can I Fly a Drone in a Connecticut Public Park? #

You wanted to capture some footage of Connecticut’s natural, beautiful sights at a public park with your drone. Is this allowed?

It’s certainly barred behavior in any Greenwich parks unless you can find a park with a designated drone flight area or if you have express permission from “the Director or his agent.”

As we mentioned in the previous section, it’s unclear if Greenwich public parks have designated drone flight areas since the ordinance was published and enacted well over 30 years ago.

You should contact the parks and rec association for the Greenwich public park you’re interested in visiting and ask before you take your drone onto the premises.

Parks in other towns and cities in Connecticut may allow the use of drones. If you’re in a public park and unsure whether you can fly a drone, looks around for any signage that would tell you if it’s a “no drone zone.”

Can I Fly a Drone in a Connecticut State Park? #

Connecticut has dozens upon dozens of state parks, from Housatonic Meadows State Park to Sunrise State Park, Minnie Island State Park, Silver Sands State Park, Dart Island State Park, and Quaddick State Park.

Yet as you’ll recall, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection bars drones from state parks and forests that are under the organization’s jurisdiction. So no, you cannot fly a drone in any of Connecticut’s state parks.

Conclusion #

Connecticut applies drone laws on a federal, state, and local level. The crux is that you’re prohibited from flying your drone in a state park or forest, as well as some public parks.

Since there aren’t that many drone laws in this state overall, you can keep these ones tucked away in the back of your mind and fly your UAV legally and without worry!

References:Part 107 rules (link)FAA-issued document (link)Use of Remote Controlled Aircraft or Drones (link)SB 975 (link)Municode Library (link)