Can You Fly a Drone in Key West? Airspace, No-Fly Zones, Rules

Flying a drone in Key West is legal, but the entire island sits inside controlled airspace tied to Key West International Airport, so you cannot lawfully launch anywhere on the island without FAA authorization first. Add a Navy base, several wildlife refuges, and a local rule on city property, and the planning matters more than the flying.

Why All of Key West Is Controlled Airspace

Key West International Airport sits on the island itself, which puts every square foot of Key West within five miles of an active airport. That makes the whole island controlled airspace. No part of it is open to drones by default.

The airport’s own guidance says anyone wanting to fly a drone on Key West or within five miles of the field must register as a Part 107 operator, obtain authorization through the FAA’s LAANC system or a Certificate of Authorization, follow all Part 107 rules, and comply with local ordinances.¹ That language reaches recreational flyers too, not just commercial operators. LAANC approvals come through apps like AirControl and Aloft, and eligible areas can clear in seconds, but no app will approve a flight into the military airspace around Naval Air Station Key West, which operates facilities across the Lower Keys. Check the FAA’s B4UFLY app before you plan a flight to see what altitudes, if any, are available where you want to be.

Certification and Registration

Federal rules sort drone pilots into two groups. Recreational flyers must pass the Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and carry proof on every flight. Any drone weighing 250 grams (0.55 pounds) or more must be registered with the FAA. Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight, stay at or below 400 feet above ground level, don’t fly over people or moving vehicles, and yield to manned aircraft.²

Anyone flying for a commercial purpose, including paid photography, real estate marketing, or surveying, needs a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. That requires passing the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft General knowledge test, being at least 16, and registering the drone regardless of weight. Registration costs $5 and lasts three years. Part 107 pilots face additional operational limits on night flight, flight over people, and flight in controlled airspace, with waivers available for some.³ Because the Key West airport’s guidance tells all operators to register as Part 107, vacation flyers planning anything beyond a quick hover should take the Part 107 route seriously.

Where You Can Take Off and Land

Florida reserves most drone regulation to the state, but local governments keep authority over takeoffs and landings on property they own.⁴ Key West uses that authority. Launching or landing on city-owned land, including beaches, parks, and other recreational areas managed by the city, requires prior approval.

This trips up visitors. The most photogenic spots in Key West are almost all public. LAANC clearance to fly the airspace does not give you a legal patch of ground to lift off from. Private property with the owner’s permission is the cleanest workaround, and on a small island where most waterfront is public, that narrows the field quickly.

Zones That Are Simply Off-Limits

Federal regulations prohibit launching, landing, or disturbing wildlife with drones on all National Wildlife Refuge lands, with no public-use exceptions.⁵ The Lower Keys contain several, including the Key West National Wildlife Refuge and the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge. The Fish and Wildlife Service warns that popular drone apps do not always map refuge boundaries accurately, so if you are near one, contact the refuge manager rather than trusting the app.⁶

The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary covers most surrounding waters. Flying low over protected waters to photograph manatees, sea turtles, or coral reefs can become a wildlife disturbance violation. Hold altitude and keep distance from animals.

Military airspace around NAS Key West is closed to civilian drones. No authorization system will open it.

Florida Rules That Can Turn a Flight Into a Crime

Florida law makes it illegal to use a drone with a camera to record images of privately owned property or people on it with intent to conduct surveillance where the subject has a reasonable expectation of privacy. The law presumes privacy when a person is not visible from ground level in a place they have a legal right to be, even if a drone overhead can see them. Written consent from the property owner removes the restriction.⁷

Florida also lists critical infrastructure facilities where unauthorized drone operation can bring criminal charges. The list includes power plants, water treatment facilities, correctional institutions, airports, military installations, seaports, and gas pipelines, among others, when fenced or posted. Penalties can reach the third-degree felony level, meaning up to five years in prison and fines up to $5,000, with repeat or aggravated offenses pushing higher. Attaching any weapon, firearm, explosive, or ammunition to a drone is flatly prohibited.⁸

Pre-Flight Checklist for Key West

Pass TRUST for recreational flying or the Part 107 knowledge exam for commercial work. Register any drone 250 grams or heavier with the FAA.²
Open B4UFLY to see restrictions, then request LAANC authorization through an approved app. No flight on Key West is legal without it.¹
Line up a legal launch site. City beaches and parks require prior approval; private property with owner permission is simpler.
Check wildlife refuge boundaries against Fish and Wildlife Service maps, not just the drone app.⁵
Avoid recording private property from angles the ground cannot see. Florida’s surveillance statute applies.⁷

1
Key West International Airport. Unmanned Aircraft Systems
2
Federal Aviation Administration. Recreational Flyers & Community-Based Organizations
3
Federal Aviation Administration. Certificated Remote Pilots including Commercial Operators
4
Florida Senate. Florida Code 330.41 – Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act
5
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Uncrewed Aircraft Systems
6
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. May I Fly a Drone on a National Wildlife Refuge
7
FindLaw. Florida Code 934.50 – Searches and Seizure Using a Drone
8
Florida Senate. Florida Code 330.411 – Prohibited Possession or Operation of Unmanned Aircraft