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Drone Authority

Drone laws by state

Tennessee drone laws

Start with Tennessee's state, local, and land-manager rules. Then use the federal baseline as the floor before you launch.

Primary sources reviewed September 27, 2026Check local city and park rules
Agricultural drone flying above parallel crop rows, used as regional context for Tennessee drone lawsSTATE · TENNESSEE
All states
By Reviewed September 27, 2026State and agency primary sources checked claim by claim

State answer first

What changes in Tennessee

You can generally fly a drone in Tennessee if you follow the FAA rules and then add the state, local, and land-manager restrictions below.

Federal FAA rules apply across Tennessee, and the broad local-preemption language proposed in 2016 did not become law. Tennessee's current framework addresses surveillance and image capture, public schools, ticketed events, state-managed land, and wildlife use, including a deer-recovery rule in effect since August 1, 2026.2345129

Local rules
Check local city and park rules
Parks and land
Verify each launch site
Airspace
FAA rules still control

Tennessee drone laws at a glance

Can I fly here?Yes, generally. Follow the FAA rules, then add the Tennessee restrictions on this page.
Local ordinancesCheck local city and park rules
State parks & landTennessee state parks and designated natural areas require an authorized flight zone or signed permit. Wildlife management and public hunting areas can add site-specific rules.56
License & registrationFederal, same in every state: Part 107 or TRUST, plus registration and Remote ID when the aircraft must be registered.
Where to flyFlying sites, clubs, and FRIAs in Tennessee
Last reviewedSeptember 27, 2026 · claim-level primary sources below

State-specific rules to check

  • 01

    Tennessee's broad local-preemption proposal, SB 2634/HB 2607, did not become law. Check local and property rules rather than treating Tennessee as a blanket preemption state.1112

  • 02

    Tennessee regulates UAS surveillance and image capture, with listed lawful-use exceptions including property-holder consent and qualifying FAA-authorized commercial operations.2

  • 03

    Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-903(a)(5) and (a)(6): knowingly flying a drone over the grounds of a correctional facility is a Class C misdemeanor. Without the business operator's written consent, knowingly flying within 250 feet of the perimeter of a critical infrastructure facility to surveil it, gather evidence or information about it, or record critical infrastructure data is a Class E felony, set by Public Chapter 60 (2019). The facility list covers power generation, transmission, and distribution substations; refineries; manufacturers using hazardous substances; chemical and rubber plants; petroleum and chemical storage; water and wastewater treatment; natural gas and propane infrastructure; railroad yards not open to the public; and communication service facilities. Commercial flights under FAA authorization are exempt from the critical infrastructure clause.1

  • 04

    Knowingly using a UAS over public K-12 school grounds with intent to surveil without the specified permission is a Class C misdemeanor, subject to statutory exceptions.3

  • 05

    Since July 1, 2026 (Public Chapter 918), flying within 400 feet of or above a gated, ticketed music, sports, or performing arts event is a Class A misdemeanor. It does not apply if the organizer consents or you are authorized by the FAA and flying lawfully under federal rules. Venue, utility, police, military, and emergency workers, and landowners flying over their own property, are also exempt.4

  • 06

    State parks and designated natural areas require operation entirely within an authorized flight zone or under a signed UAS flight permit. The rule states that it is a land-management rule, not regulation of the national airspace system.5

  • 07

    Drones may not be used to hunt wildlife under any circumstances. Since August 1, 2026 TWRA allows a drone only to recover a deer reasonably believed to be mortally wounded, over private land with the landowner's permission, from 30 minutes after sunset until 3 a.m., with thermal imaging and an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate, and with neither pilot nor hunter carrying a hunting weapon. Quota elk hunters may recover elk by drone on North Cumberland WMA with manager approval.78910

Launch-day workflow

Before you fly in Tennessee

Work through these state-specific checks before the usual FAA airspace, weather, aircraft, and crew review.

  1. 01

    Check local and property rules

    Tennessee's broad preemption proposal did not become law. Confirm local ordinances, venue rules, and landowner permission.1112

  2. 02

    Map schools and ticketed events

    Identify public K-12 grounds and measure the 400-foot ticketed-event buffer, then determine whether a documented exception applies.34

  3. 03

    Permit the managed-land operation

    Use an authorized state-park flight zone or obtain a signed permit, and check the individual wildlife management or public hunting area.56

  4. 04

    Check the recovery effective date

    Do not use a drone to hunt. For a deer recovery, confirm every TWRA condition applies: private land with permission, 30 minutes after sunset to 3 a.m., thermal camera, Remote Pilot Certificate, no weapons on the pilot or hunter.78910

Beyond the airspace layer

Land access and wildlife are separate decisions

Managed land

Tennessee state parks and designated natural areas require an authorized flight zone or signed permit. Wildlife management and public hunting areas can add site-specific rules.56

Compare public-land managers

Wildlife and hunting

Tennessee bars hunting with a drone in all cases. The recovery framework that took effect August 1, 2026 is narrow: mortally wounded deer only, private land, 30 minutes after sunset to 3 a.m., thermal imaging, a Remote Pilot Certificate, no weapons on the pilot or hunter, plus quota elk recovery on North Cumberland WMA with manager approval.78910

Read the wildlife guideCheck recovery rules
Local preemptionCheck local city and park rules
We could not verify a clear statewide preemption posture; assume local rules may apply and verify before flying.
Parks and launch sitesCheck the land manager
Tennessee state parks and designated natural areas require an authorized flight zone or signed permit. Wildlife management and public hunting areas can add site-specific rules.

Primary sources

These sources support the material state claims above. State laws, local park rules, and emergency restrictions can still change faster than a static guide.