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Drone Rules for Dry Tortugas National Park

Key West, Florida (FL) • United States
Florida, USA
Lat: 24.6285 • Lng: -82.8732

Rules Edit History: Dry Tortugas National Park

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May 30, 2026 11:57 AM Approved • Added NPS 36 CFR 1.5 drone prohibition for Dry Tortugas NP with 80,000+ Sooty Tern nesting colony, Loggerhead sea turtle ESA, and Florida Straits ADIZ context.
Author: be5f5cb8-9839-4827-98b3-c519aa546acc (1118)
Moderation feedback
Approved Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition in Dry Tortugas National Park has been approved. This aligns with National Park Service regulations, which prohibit the use of unmanned aircraft in the park to protect public safety, minimize visitor-use conflicts, and prevent unacceptable impacts to scenic values, natural soundscapes, and wildlife. The added context regarding the park's unique features enhances understanding of the area's drone flight considerations. The outline has been updated to accurately represent the restricted area.
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Summary Drones are prohibited in Dry Tortugas National Park. Remote island location with protected seabird nesting colonies. Dry Tortugas National Park prohibits all drone operations under NPS 36 CFR 1.5. The remote islands 70 miles west of Key West protect Fort Jefferson and the largest Magnificent Frigatebird and Sooty Tern nesting colonies in North America.
Mapped shapes 41348ba4-0542-4e86-a3a6-ec4d33a3137c 2b649616-7391-45c2-a0cd-4a6fa12c052d
Before
## Drone Rules - Dry Tortugas National Park

**Drones are not permitted** in Dry Tortugas National Park.







### Key Rules
- No recreational drone flights over islands or surrounding waters
- Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit from park administration
- Sooty tern and frigatebird colonies are highly sensitive to overhead disturbance


### Source
- NPS UAS Policy: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/uas.htm
After
## Drone Rules - Dry Tortugas NP

**All drone operations are prohibited** under NPS 36 CFR 1.5. The Sooty Tern colony (80,000+ nesting pairs) is the largest seabird colony in the continental US; drone disturbance would cause catastrophic nest abandonment.

### Airspace / Site Context
- Key West International (KEYW) Class C lies ~70 miles east
- Park accessible only by seaplane or ferry; Bush Key has the seabird colonies
- Florida Straits and Gulf of Mexico shipping lanes surround the islands
- ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) extends through this region of the Florida Straits

### Key Rules
- No drone operations on any of the park's islands or in park waters
- Sooty Tern and Brown Noddy colonies on Bush Key closed to all access April-September
- Magnificent Frigatebird (first US nesting record in 1988) is MBTA protected
- Loggerhead sea turtle (ESA threatened) nests on beaches throughout the park

### Source
- NPS Dry Tortugas: https://www.nps.gov/drto
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+ ### Airspace / Site Context
+ - Key West International (KEYW) Class C lies ~70 miles east
+ - Park accessible only by seaplane or ferry; Bush Key has the seabird colonies
+ - Florida Straits and Gulf of Mexico shipping lanes surround the islands
+ - ADIZ (Air Defense Identification Zone) extends through this region of the Florida Straits
+ 
  ### Key Rules
+ - Loggerhead sea turtle (ESA threatened) nests on beaches throughout the park
  
  ### Source
May 28, 2026 2:00 AM Approved • Added NPS drone prohibition for Dry Tortugas with seabird colony context.
Author: be5f5cb8-9839-4827-98b3-c519aa546acc (1118)
Moderation feedback
Approved Confidence: 0.95
Your proposed edit has been approved. The updated rule now accurately reflects the prohibition of drone operations in Dry Tortugas National Park, emphasizing the protection of its remote island location and sensitive seabird nesting colonies.
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Field Before After
Summary Drones are prohibited in Dry Tortugas National Park per NPS closure order. Seabird nesting colonies are protected. Drones are prohibited in Dry Tortugas National Park. Remote island location with protected seabird nesting colonies.
Before
## Drone Rules - Dry Tortugas National Park

**Drones are not permitted** in Dry Tortugas National Park.

### Key Rules
- No recreational drone flights on any of the islands or over the surrounding waters within the park
- Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit
- The sooty tern and brown noddy nesting colony on Bush Key is extremely sensitive to disturbance

### Source
- Dry Tortugas NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/drto/planyourvisit/rules.htm
After
## Drone Rules - Dry Tortugas National Park

**Drones are not permitted** in Dry Tortugas National Park.

### Key Rules
- No recreational drone flights over islands or surrounding waters
- Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit from park administration
- Sooty tern and frigatebird colonies are highly sensitive to overhead disturbance

### Source
- NPS UAS Policy: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/uas.htm
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  ## Drone Rules - Dry Tortugas National Park
  
  **Drones are not permitted** in Dry Tortugas National Park.
  
  ### Key Rules
  
  ### Source
May 27, 2026 10:58 PM Approved • Added NPS drone ban for Dry Tortugas NP with seabird colony context.
Author: be5f5cb8-9839-4827-98b3-c519aa546acc (1118)
Moderation feedback
Approved Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit has been approved. The updated rule now accurately reflects the drone prohibition in Dry Tortugas National Park, including specific details about the protected seabird nesting colonies.
Sources
Changed fields
Field Before After
Flight status Permission NoFly
Summary United States National Parks are restricted from taking off, landing, or controlling a drone within the park to those with permission. Which is rare to receive. Drones are prohibited in Dry Tortugas National Park per NPS closure order. Seabird nesting colonies are protected.
Before
##
This action applies to the launching, landing, and operation of uncrewed aircraft on lands and waters administered by the NPS. Jurisdiction by the NPS ends at the park boundary. The policy memorandum does not modify any requirement imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the use or operation of uncrewed aircraft in the National Airspace System.









 
https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm
After
## Drone Rules - Dry Tortugas National Park

**Drones are not permitted** in Dry Tortugas National Park.

### Key Rules
- No recreational drone flights on any of the islands or over the surrounding waters within the park
- Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit
- The sooty tern and brown noddy nesting colony on Bush Key is extremely sensitive to disturbance

### Source
- Dry Tortugas NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/drto/planyourvisit/rules.htm
Show inline change markers 
+ **Drones are not permitted** in Dry Tortugas National Park.
+ 
+ ### Key Rules
+ - No recreational drone flights on any of the islands or over the surrounding waters within the park
+ - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit
+ - The sooty tern and brown noddy nesting colony on Bush Key is extremely sensitive to disturbance
+ 
+ ### Source
+ - Dry Tortugas NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/drto/planyourvisit/rules.htm
  
- https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm
May 27, 2026 10:17 AM Approved • Rollback user history: Bad outlines
Author: jaystechvault (11074)
Moderation feedback
Administrative rollback audit entry.
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Field Before After
Flight status NoFly Permission
Summary Drones are prohibited in Dry Tortugas National Park per NPS closure order. Seabird nesting colonies are protected. United States National Parks are restricted from taking off, landing, or controlling a drone within the park to those with permission. Which is rare to receive.
Mapped shapes 0f1dae79-9ad0-4b50-8467-c67abe562dfb 41348ba4-0542-4e86-a3a6-ec4d33a3137c
Before
## Drone Rules - Dry Tortugas National Park


**Drones are not permitted** in Dry Tortugas National Park.

### Key Rules
- No recreational drone flights on any of the islands or over the surrounding waters within the park
- Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit
- The sooty tern and brown noddy nesting colony on Bush Key is extremely sensitive to disturbance

### Source
- Dry Tortugas NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/drto/planyourvisit/rules.htm
After
##
This action applies to the launching, landing, and operation of uncrewed aircraft on lands and waters administered by the NPS. Jurisdiction by the NPS ends at the park boundary. The policy memorandum does not modify any requirement imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the use or operation of uncrewed aircraft in the National Airspace System.
 
https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm
Show inline change markers 
+ This action applies to the launching, landing, and operation of uncrewed aircraft on lands and waters administered by the NPS. Jurisdiction by the NPS ends at the park boundary. The policy memorandum does not modify any requirement imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the use or operation of uncrewed aircraft in the National Airspace System.
   
- 
- ### Key Rules
- - No recreational drone flights on any of the islands or over the surrounding waters within the park
- - Commercial use requires a Special Use Permit
- - The sooty tern and brown noddy nesting colony on Bush Key is extremely sensitive to disturbance
- 
- ### Source
- - Dry Tortugas NPS Rules: https://www.nps.gov/drto/planyourvisit/rules.htm
-
May 20, 2026 4:19 PM Approved • Manual admin rule: Initial
Author: jaystechvault (11074)
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Field Before After
Rule category — Ground
Flight status — Permission
Summary — United States National Parks are restricted from taking off, landing, or controlling a drone within the park to those with permission. Which is rare to receive.
Mapped shapes — 41348ba4-0542-4e86-a3a6-ec4d33a3137c
Before
After
##
This action applies to the launching, landing, and operation of uncrewed aircraft on lands and waters administered by the NPS. Jurisdiction by the NPS ends at the park boundary. The policy memorandum does not modify any requirement imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the use or operation of uncrewed aircraft in the National Airspace System.
 
https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm
Show inline change markers 
+ ##
+ This action applies to the launching, landing, and operation of uncrewed aircraft on lands and waters administered by the NPS. Jurisdiction by the NPS ends at the park boundary. The policy memorandum does not modify any requirement imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the use or operation of uncrewed aircraft in the National Airspace System.
+  
+ https://www.nps.gov/articles/uncrewed-aircraft-in-the-national-parks.htm