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Are drones allowed at splash pads?
Quick answer
Drones are banned at virtually every public splash pad — by city park rules, FAA regulations near people, and crowd-safety policies. Flying over crowds without certification violates FAA Part 107. Even with certification, recreational drone flight near children is universally prohibited.
Drone use at splash pads is essentially never permitted. City park departments uniformly ban drones in spaces with children. FAA Part 107 (commercial pilots) requires special waivers to fly over people. Recreational drone pilots cannot fly over crowds at all. Even tiny sub-250-gram drones (DJI Mini 3, 4) that don't require FAA registration are banned in most parks. Beyond legality, drones are loud, scare children, distract supervision, and create real injury risk if they fail. Park rangers will confiscate drones and write citations. Many cities also have local 'no drone zones' that include all parks. If you want aerial splash pad footage for a legitimate commercial project (city tourism video, real estate listing), apply for a Part 107 waiver weeks in advance and coordinate with the parks department. For personal content, stick with chest-mounted action cameras instead.