400ft Max Height
Under 100 MPH
Avoid airports
Only line of sight
It’s no secret that Hawaii is home to breathtaking views and landscapes. A lot of drone pilots flock there to take shots like the one above, but to fly safely and legally you have to be familiar with the drone laws in Hawaii first.
You may be wondering if you can fly your drone in Hawaii in the first place, since there are some places in the US that completely ban drones. Drones are allowed in Hawaii for recreational and commercial uses!
They’re however regulated by a myriad of laws and regulations. There are three types of drone laws in Hawaii which we’ll go over in this article.
Starting with the first and general type of laws; federal drone laws.
Federal laws are laws that apply to every state in the United States, including Hawaii, and were created by the federal government.
I have covered them in-depth in my previous drone laws article, but I’ll briefly go over them here.
There are two types of drone flying: Recreational flying, which means flying for fun, as a hobby. And commercial flying, which according to the FAA is any flying that you’re compensated for (even shooting and selling stock images).
In order to fly recreationally, you’ll need to pass a simple online test called the TRUST. Beware of anyone who tries to charge you for it as the FAA requires the test to be free.
If you want to pass the test, my personal recommendation are Uavcoach, they’re an FAA approved test administrator.
You’ll also need to register your drone, which will only cost you $5. Note that once you receive your registration number you have to write it on your drone.
In order to fly commercially, i.e receive money from your drone flights, you’ll have to study for and pass the 107 test. I have done a complete guide on that test here.
There are also other conditions that you must fulfill in order to be eligible to fly your drone commercially in Hawaii. You can check them in-depth in my US drone laws article.
Below are the federal drone laws in Hawaii that you’ll have to keep in mind:
This was a general view on the federal drone laws in Hawaii. To fly safely, you’ll need more information and an in-depth view of the current drone laws landscape, check out my previous detailed article about the subject.
In addition to federal drone laws, there are state laws that apply only to the state of Hawaii, and were created by its legislature.
There is only one major state law in Hawaii regarding drone use. Here is the gist of it, according to the Hawaii State Legislature.
This law dictates that there should be a chief operating officer position for the Hawaii drone test site. It also establishes an unmanned aerial systems test site advisory board to plan and oversee test site development and appropriates funds to establish the test site.
If you’re only flying for fun, it doesn’t really have much to do with you.
These local drone laws are laws that only apply to certain cities or regions within the state of Hawaii. They’re created and enforced by the local authorities.
There is actually only one local drone law in Hawaii that you’ll have to keep in mind. And that is that the launching, or landing of drones is prohibited in any of Hawaii’s state parks.
Fines are up to the enforcement division, the FAA however will rarely go for the maximum.
In the case of an accidental first-offense, the FAA will probably just require a temporary suspension of your UAS Airman certificate and remedial training.
For the more egregious offenses, such as flying in an airport vicinity, expect slightly more serious repercussions.
In conclusion, just make sure you keep the federal laws in mind as they are the most important, and keep in mind to always ask for permission before flying in public parks.
Have fun and fly safely, most of these laws are just common sense.
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