FLIGHT REFERENCE · UPDATED CONTINUOUSLY
Know the rule before you fly.
DroneCompass tracks what's actually allowed at parks, stadiums, and jurisdictions across Maryland — pulled from agencies, park staff, and public filings, not guesswork or outdated forum threads.
Free to browse. No account needed once live.
The rules are real. Finding them isn't.
A park's website says drones are banned. Call the office, and a ranger says it's fine as long as you follow FAA guidelines. A stadium has a standing no-fly radius during games that most pilots don't know exists until they're getting a felony charge. A county can't legally regulate drones at all, but its parks department posted a rule anyway.
None of this is written down in one place — it's scattered across agency PDFs, phone calls, and outdated forum threads. DroneCompass is that one place: a running, sourced record of what's actually enforced, jurisdiction by jurisdiction.
CURRENTLY MAPPING
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Tap any pin or shaded area for the rule. Circles and pins are approximate, so confirm the exact boundary in the FAA's B4UFLY app before flying. Statewide rules (HB 1349, state preemption) aren't tied to one spot.
Live flying weather updates every 10 minutes and is a rough guide only: check your own drone's wind limits, and the rule on each card still applies. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Sandy Point State Park
Flying allowed before Memorial Day and after Labor Day, 7am–dusk. No flying near the adjacent Chesapeake Bay Bridge without separate clearance.
410-974-2149 · sandypoint.statepark@maryland.gov · DNR policy page, verified 9/29/2026
Patapsco State Park
Flights allowed at Hollofield and McKeldin if FAA rules are followed and the duty ranger is notified beforehand.
Duty ranger (Hollofield/McKeldin): 443-534-1762 · verified by phone, 9/28/2026
Baltimore City Parks
Model aircraft and drones prohibited except in areas the city specifically designates for it.
Dept. of Rec & Parks: 410-396-7900 · BCRP.Info@baltimorecity.gov · Rule 42, verified 9/29/2026
Frederick County Parks
Limited to five named parks (Catoctin Creek, Kemptown, Middletown, Old National Pike, Utica District), only after a Special Request Form is submitted in advance.
Frederick County Parks & Rec, official FAQ - direct line not yet confirmed
Stadium airspace, statewide
Temporary no-fly zones cover major stadiums for roughly an hour before and after games — a federal rule, not a local one.
Source: FAA temporary flight restrictions
Local drone bans, statewide
Only the state of Maryland may regulate drone operation — counties and cities legally cannot pass their own flight bans.
Economic Development Article §14-301
Swallow Falls State Park
Advance permission from park staff required before flying, per statewide DNR policy. No cell service on site — call before you arrive.
301-387-6938 (Feb–Mar: 301-334-9180) · dnr.maryland.gov, verified 9/29/2026
Rocks State Park
Drone flights are allowed with prior approval from park management, granted case by case at the facility manager’s discretion and revocable at any time. Contact the park before you fly with your drone details and where you plan to fly, and stay courteous to visitors and wildlife. Photos and video must be for personal, non-profit use; any professional shoot needs approval from park management and DNR’s Office of Communications. Covers the main park plus the Falling Branch (Kilgore Falls) and Hidden Valley areas.
Confirmed in writing by Park Service Supervisor Adam Poe, 10/8/2026 · 410-557-7994 · rocks.statepark@maryland.gov
Ocean City (beach & Boardwalk)
No flying over the beach, Boardwalk, or crowds May 1–Sept 30 without written town approval. Nearby Assateague Island (NPS) bans drones entirely.
Emergency Mgmt: 410-723-6616 · oceancitymd.gov, verified 9/29/2026
Drone trespass law, statewide
Flying onto someone's property within 50ft of a dwelling to harass or photograph them without consent is a misdemeanor — up to 1 year and/or a $5,000 fine.
HB 1349 (2025), Crim. Law §3-908 · mgaleg.maryland.gov, verified 9/29/2026
Correctional facilities, statewide
Flying a drone over a prison or jail to photograph or record it is a misdemeanor without authorization from the facility or the state corrections secretary, and so is using a drone to deliver contraband to anyone confined there. Each carries up to 3 years in prison and/or a $1,000 fine. Facilities must post warning signs.
Correctional Services §8-804 and Criminal Law §9-417.1 (Chapter 101 of 2024) · mgaleg.maryland.gov, verified 10/4/2026
NAS Patuxent River (St. Mary's Co.)
Permission is required to fly anywhere in Pax River's airspace, which covers about 5 miles around the base's airfields and 3 miles around its outlying fields. Requests must be submitted at least 10 business days ahead. Flying inside the base fence line is never allowed.
UAS Airspace Coordinator: 301-342-3836 · naspaxuascoordinator@us.navy.mil · ndw.cnic.navy.mil, verified 10/1/2026
Calvert County Parks
County code bars flying a drone in or above county park property without written authorization from the parks director. This county rule may conflict with the state preemption law, but it's still posted, so ask before you fly.
Calvert County Code ch. 82 · calvertcountymd.gov park rules, verified 10/1/2026
Washington, D.C. area
No drone flights within 15 miles of Reagan National Airport without specific FAA authorization, which reaches into Montgomery and Prince George's counties. Between 15 and 30 miles, recreational flying is allowed under set conditions, including a registered, marked drone flown below 400 feet.
FAA "DC Area Prohibited & Restricted Airspace" · faa.gov, verified 10/1/2026
National Park Service sites
Launching, landing, or flying a drone is banned in every National Park Service unit, including Antietam, the C&O Canal, Assateague Island, Fort McHenry, Catoctin Mountain Park, and Fort Washington Park. The ban stops at the park boundary.
NPS Policy Memorandum 14-05, 36 CFR 1.5 · nps.gov, verified 10/1/2026 (Fort Washington Park added 10/4/2026)
Fort Meade (Anne Arundel Co.)
Flying a drone on the installation without authorization is unlawful. Operators can be prosecuted and drones can be seized.
Fort Meade Police (non-emergency): 301-677-6622 · home.army.mil/meade, verified 10/1/2026
Southwest Area Park flying field (Baltimore Co.)
A dedicated radio-control flying field run by the Southwest Area Park Modelers, open 9am–dusk. Club membership requires AMA membership plus dues. Call ahead to ask about flying as a visitor.
Club contact Art Vail: 410-925-6306 · swaprc.org, verified 10/1/2026
Paid shoots in state parks, statewide
Commercial photo or video work in a Maryland state park needs a permit or use agreement, arranged through the Park Manager, when the shoot is high-impact, plus a one-time $500 service charge. Low-impact commercial work and personal photography don't need a permit. Each park's own drone rules still apply either way.
Maryland Park Service Agency Policy 21-29 · dnr.maryland.gov, verified 10/1/2026
BWI Marshall & Martin State airports
Flying within 7 miles of BWI or 5 miles of Martin State requires FAA airspace authorization through LAANC or DroneZone. The airports and control towers can't grant it, and most LAANC requests are approved almost instantly. Near Martin State, recreational flyers not operating under Part 107 should also get permission from the Chesapeake Bay Miniature Aircraft Association. No flying while a temporary flight restriction is active.
Maryland Aviation Administration (MDOT MAA) drone page, verified 10/1/2026
How it stays accurate
We watch where pilots actually run into trouble
Real questions, complaints, and enforcement stories from public forums and local news — the situations rulebooks don't cover.
We check it against the actual source
Agency policy pages, county codes, and direct calls to park staff — not secondhand summaries.
We publish the rule and where it came from
Every entry shows its source and when it was last confirmed, so you can judge how current it is.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Maryland drone law FAQ
What drone laws does Maryland have?
Beyond federal FAA rules, Maryland has three state drone laws: the 2015 law that reserves drone regulation to the state, so counties and cities cannot pass their own flight bans; the 2024 law against flying over a prison or jail to record images or deliver contraband; and the 2025 drone trespass law (HB 1349). The General Assembly's own 2025 bill analysis states that Maryland has no other laws regulating unmanned aircraft. Parks and agencies can still set their own rules for their land, which is what most cards on this site cover.
Can you fly a drone in Maryland state parks?
It depends on the park. Statewide DNR policy requires advance permission from park staff at many parks. Sandy Point allows flying only before Memorial Day and after Labor Day, and Patapsco allows it at Hollofield and McKeldin if the duty ranger is notified first. Check each park's card on this page.
Can you fly a drone in Baltimore City parks?
Not in most of them. Baltimore City park rules prohibit model aircraft and drones except in areas the city specifically designates for that use.
Can you fly a drone near Washington, D.C.?
Not within 15 miles of Reagan National Airport without specific FAA authorization, which covers parts of Montgomery and Prince George's counties. Between 15 and 30 miles, recreational flying is allowed under set conditions, including a registered, marked drone flown below 400 feet.
Can Maryland counties ban drones?
Maryland law (Economic Development Article §14-301) says only the state may regulate drone operation, so counties and cities cannot pass their own flight bans. Some county park rules, like Calvert County's, are still posted and may conflict with that law.
Is it illegal to fly a drone over someone's house in Maryland?
Under Maryland's 2025 drone trespass law (HB 1349), flying onto someone's property within 50 feet of a dwelling to harass or photograph them without consent is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year and/or a $5,000 fine.