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Drone Laws in Utah (Everything You Need To Know in 2023)

Updated in 2023 by Paul Posea
Drone Laws in Utah (2)
height flight limit 1

400ft Max Height

cant fly over crowds of people 1

Under 100 MPH

plane icon white 1 1

Avoid airports

line of sight law 1

Only line of sight

Utah is home to breathtaking sights, if you want to fly your drone legally there and take shots like the picture above, there are rules and regulations that you must follow and that we’ll go over in this article.

Can I Fly a Drone in Utah?

Wondering if you can actually take your drone for a flight? drones are allowed in Utah for recreational and commercial uses!

They’re however regulated by a myriad of laws and regulations. There are three types of drone laws in Utah which we’ll go over in this article.

Starting with the first and general type of laws; federal drone laws.

Federal Drone Laws in Utah

Federal laws are laws created by the federal government, and that apply to every US state, including Utah.

Since federal laws are the most important here I recommend you check out my previous article where I cover them in detail. I’ll still brush over the federal laws in this section though.

There are two types of drone flying. Recreational and commercial:

Recreational Flying

Recreational flying is flying as a hobby, for fun. All you have to do to fly your drone recreationally is pass the TRUST test.  

It’s a simple online test that you can pass for FREE from an approved test administrator. Beware of anyone who tries to charge you for it as the FAA requires it to be free (my personal recommendation are Uavcoach, they’re an FAA approved test provider).

Commercial Flying

Commercial drone flight is every drone activity that you’re compensated for, according to the FAA. Even if you’re just selling pictures you captured from your drone. To be able to fly commercially you’ll have to study for and pass the 107 test. I have done a complete guide on that test here.

There are also various other conditions that you need to fulfill. You can check them here.

The General Federal Laws in Utah

Below are the federal drone laws in Utah that you’ll have to keep in mind:

  • Do not fly higher than 400ft
  • Do not fly in uncontrolled airspace without a permit (read up more on that here)
  • Always maintain visual line of sight
  • Never interfere with manned aircrafts
  • Do not fly over crowds of people
  • Your drone must be registered with the FAA on the FAADroneZone website.
  • Your maximum drone speed must not exceed 100mph
  • Your maximum drone weight must be lower than 55lbs, at takeoff.
  • You cannot fly from a moving vehicle.

You can check my US drone laws article, where I go over airspace classifications and various other things related to drone regulations.

State Drone Laws in Utah

State laws are laws that were created by Utah’s legislators and that apply only to Utah. We’ll go over each one of them in this section.

According to the Utah Department of Transportation there are several state-wide drone laws here.

Livestock

According to this law, chasing, disturbing, harassing or harming livestock with the use of your drone is prohibited.

Use of Drones by Law Enforcement

Usually it’s strictly prohibited for law enforcers to use drones. However in Utah, this law allows them to do so in certain situations like search and rescue, granted that there is no expectation of privacy.

In other cases, they’re required to have a warrant in order to use drones no matter the reason.

Wildland Fires

This law prohibits flight over wildland fires in Utah, unless having permission from the FAA or being part of the responding team (also requires permission for drone flight).

Privacy

You may not fly your drone over private property if you don’t have permission. The owner of such property has the right to take legal action against you.

You can read up more on the details of that law here.

Extra Laws 

There are extra laws that I've found in the state of Utah but none of them are of any use to you, except for this one law regarding privacy.

According to this law,  you would not be guilty of what would otherwise be a privacy violation if you’re operating a drone for “legitimate” commercial or education purposes consistent with FAA regulations.

Doesn’t make sense really considering the privacy law already in place, but that’s how it is in Utah.

Local Drone Laws in Utah

These local drone laws are laws that only apply to certain cities or regions within the state of Utah. They’re created and enforced by the local authorities.

There have been no local drone laws in Utah that I could find. Which means you’ll just have to follow the federal and state laws discussed above.

What Happens if You Break the Drone Laws in Utah?

Well, the FAA will rarely go for the maximum. Usually you’ll get a small fine, which is like a slap on the wrist.

For accidental first-offenses, the FAA tends to require a temporary suspension of their UAS Airman certificate and remedial training. 

For the more egregious offenses, such as flying in an airport vicinity, expect slightly more serious repercussions. Should an illegally operated drone crash and injure someone, the operator will then face serious trouble and possibly jail time.

In conclusion, just make sure you keep the federal laws in mind as they are the most important. Have fun and fly safely, most of these laws are just common sense.

author-paul-posea-picture
Hi, I'm Paul.
A big drone enthusiast, reviewing, comparing and writing about drones since 2015. I'm all about helping people enjoy and even monetize their hobby.

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paul posea
Paul Posea
Hi, I'm a long-time drone reviewer and I hope my articles and comparisons on this site as well as Dronesgator's youtube channel are of as much help as possible.
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