Drone Rules for Central Park

Name: Central Park
Address: New York, NY, USA, New York, ny, us

New York, New York (ny) • United States

New York, NY, USA

Lat: 40.7826 • Lng: -73.9656

Ground Not allowed Last updated: May 30, 2026

Summary

Central Park prohibits all drone operations under New York City Local Law 132 (2019) and NYC Parks rules. The park is within New York Class B airspace where LAANC authorization is unavailable, making any drone operation a federal and city violation.

Drone Rules - Central Park

All drone operations are prohibited in Central Park under NYC Local Law 132 (2019) and FAA Class B airspace regulations. The park is within the NYC Class B surface area where LAANC is not available.

Airspace / Site Context

LaGuardia Airport (KLGA) Class B surface area covers all of Manhattan
JFK Airport (KJFK) and Newark (KEWR) Class B outer rings compound restrictions
New York SFRA (Special Flight Rules Area) applies to the Hudson River corridor
Central Park spans 843 acres in the heart of Manhattan

Key Rules

NYC Local Law 132 makes drone operation in city parks a civil and criminal violation
FAA Class B airspace requires prior authorization that is essentially never granted over NYC
NYPD Aviation Unit actively enforces drone laws; confiscation and fines are common
Red-tailed hawk and Pale Male (famous resident hawk) nests are in the park

Source

NYC Parks: https://www.nycparks.org/rules

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Rule sources

https://www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/about/about-nypd/rules-and-regulations.page — NYC law explicitly bans drone takeoff and landing in public areas, supported by FAA regulations.
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/part-107 — NYC law explicitly bans drone takeoff and landing in public areas, supported by FAA regulations.
https://www.nyc.gov/site/mome/permits/film-permits.page — NYC law explicitly bans drone takeoff and landing in public areas, supported by FAA regulations.
https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_flyers — NYC law explicitly bans drone takeoff and landing in public areas, supported by FAA regulations.
https://www.nycparks.org/rules — NYC law explicitly bans drone takeoff and landing in public areas, supported by FAA regulations.NYC law explicitly bans drone takeoff and landing in public areas, supported by FAA regulations.NYC law explicitly bans drone takeoff and landing in public areas, supported by FAA regulations.NYC law explicitly bans drone takeoff and landing in public areas, supported by FAA regulations.

Parent Rule Pages