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Drone Rules for Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Avon, North Carolina (NC)
• United States
North Carolina, USA
Lat: 35.4273 • Lng: -75.4898
Ground
Not allowed
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Summary
Drone operations are strictly prohibited at Cape Hatteras National Seashore under NPS regulations. No recreational or commercial flights are permitted without an explicit Special Use Permit. Critical Piping Plover and sea turtle nesting beaches create ESA seasonal absolute bans May–August.
Authorization Status
- Recreational: ❌ 100% Banned
- Commercial (Part 107): ❌ Not allowed without NPS Special Use Permit
- ESA: ⚠️ Piping Plover + sea turtle nesting — seasonal absolute ban
Geographic Boundaries
Cape Hatteras National Seashore is located in Dare and Hyde Counties, North Carolina, on the Outer Banks.
- Total area: ~30,351 acres
- Coordinates: 35.2285° N, 75.5301° W
- Includes Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Ocracoke Island, Bodie Island, and 70 miles of Atlantic coastline
- Nearest city: Manteo, NC (~30 miles north)
Regulations
- NPS Management Policies § 8.2.2 prohibits UAS in all NPS units
- 36 CFR § 1.5 — Superintendent's closure authority
- 36 CFR § 2.17(a)(3) — Prohibits air delivery/retrieval
- ESA (16 U.S.C. § 1531) — Piping Plover threatened; Loggerhead sea turtle threatened nesting beaches
- MBTA (16 U.S.C. § 703) — colonial waterbird nesting
- FAA 14 CFR Part 107 governs commercial operations
- Airspace: Class G; no controlled airspace over seashore
Penalties
- NPS fines up to $5,000 per violation
- ESA Section 9: up to $50,000 + 1 year imprisonment
- MBTA: fines up to $15,000 + 6 months per disturbance
- FAA civil penalties up to $27,500 per violation per day
- Equipment confiscation by park rangers
Special Permissions
- NPS Special Use Permit required
- Nesting season blackout: May–August absolute ban on beaches Submit requests to: Cape Hatteras NS Superintendent, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954