Drone Laws
in Kentucky (2026)

FAA rules apply everywhere in Kentucky. The state and local laws on this page add to them.

Recreational Flying Made Easy: 2 hours of video on the rules and airspace for flying your drone.

Welcome to this wiki. The goal of this wiki is to crowd-source drone information. Having said that, information may be inaccurate, out-of-date, and should not be relied upon for legal advice.

Kentucky State Drone Laws
These laws apply in the entire state.

House Bill 540

  • Allows commercial airports to prepare UAS facility maps that specify where drones can operate, take off, or land within the airport’s map.
  • Prohibits the reckless operations of drones in a manner that creates serious risk of physical injury or damage to property.
  • Violations to these provisions will result in a Class A. misdemeanor or a Class D felony if the violation causes a serious disruption to the safe travel of an aircraft.

Ref House Bill 540

 

Senate Bill 157

  • Prohibits flying a drone over key infrastructure assets with the intent to cause or intent to cause harm or damage or conduct surveillance without the prior consent of the owner, tenant, or lessee of the property. This is considered trespassing and is a Class B misdemeanor for the first offense and Class A misdemeanor for all subsequent offenses.
    • Exceptions can apply to drones used by the federal government, a law enforcement agency, emergency response team, or in accordance with an order of a court of jurisdiction.
    • Exceptions can also apply to the operation of a UAS by a person or entity for a commercial purpose in compliance with FAA regulations or exemptions.

Critical facilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Power plants
  • Hospitals
  • Military installations
  • Water treatment plants
  • Oil and gas facilities
  • Courthouses

Ref Senate Bill 157

 

Know a state law we missed? Suggest an edit.

City and County
Drone Laws
These laws apply in some areas.

There are currently no local drone laws in Kentucky that are implemented in the county, city, or town levels.

Know a local law we missed? Suggest an edit.