Drone laws in Hawaii layer federal aviation rules on top of state park bans, a privacy felony statute, and marine wildlife protections that apply to drones the same way they apply to boats and swimmers. The FAA can fine unsafe operators up to $75,000 per violation, Hawaii treats certain drone recordings as a class C felony, and federal law prohibits approaching humpback whales within 100 yards in Hawaiian waters by any means, including a drone overhead. If you plan to fly here, assume the rules are stricter than wherever you flew last.
Register and Certify Before You Fly
Every drone flown in Hawaii must be registered with the FAA unless it weighs under 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and is used purely for recreation. Registration goes through the FAA’s DroneZone portal and costs $5 for three years.1Federal Aviation Administration. How to Register Your Drone Recreational registration covers every drone you own under one $5 fee; Part 107 commercial registration is $5 per aircraft. The registration number must be displayed on the exterior of the drone before you fly. Failing to register can bring civil penalties up to $27,500 and criminal penalties up to $250,000 and three years in prison.2Federal Aviation Administration. Is There a Penalty for Failing to Register? Hawaii has no separate state registration.
Recreational pilots also need to pass the FAA’s free online Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and carry proof of completion when flying.3Federal Aviation Administration. Recreational Flyers and Community-Based Organizations The baseline flight rules are familiar: stay at or below 400 feet in uncontrolled Class G airspace, keep the drone within visual line of sight, get authorization before entering controlled airspace, and yield to manned aircraft. On a Hawaiian ridgeline hike, the 400-foot ceiling matters more than it looks on paper, because elevation changes put you closer to helicopter tour traffic faster than you’d expect.
Flying commercially means passing the FAA’s Aeronautical Knowledge Test and holding a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, with recurrent training every 24 months.4eCFR. 14 CFR Part 107 The FAA does not mandate liability insurance for Part 107, but most Hawaii clients and land managers require proof of coverage, and personal policies generally exclude commercial drone use.
Any drone that must be registered also has to comply with Remote ID, which broadcasts the drone’s identification and location while in flight.5Federal Aviation Administration. Remote Identification of Drones Most drones sold today ship with Standard Remote ID built in. Older drones can be brought into compliance with an aftermarket broadcast module, or flown only inside an FAA-Recognized Identification Area.
Where You Cannot Fly in Hawaii
Between airports, military bases, national parks, and state parks, large portions of the islands are either closed to drones or require authorization in advance.
Hawaii State Parks
The Department of Land and Natural Resources bans the use, launching, or landing of drones in Hawaii state parks.6Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of State Parks. Hawaiʻi State Park Rules This is a flat prohibition, not a permit program for casual users. Diamond Head State Monument, Waimea Canyon State Park, and ʻĪao Valley State Monument are all covered. Recreational pilots should treat every state park as off-limits.
National Parks
The National Park Service prohibits launching, landing, or operating drones in nearly all national parks under Policy Memorandum 14-05, which directs superintendents to use their authority under 36 CFR 1.5 to ban uncrewed aircraft.7National Park Service. Uncrewed Aircraft in the National Parks In Hawaii, that covers Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and Haleakalā National Park. Special use permits exist in theory but are reserved for things like search and rescue or research, not recreation.8National Park Service. Laws and Policies – Haleakalā National Park
Airports and Controlled Airspace
Flights in controlled airspace around airports require FAA authorization through LAANC or DroneZone before takeoff.9Federal Aviation Administration. UAS Data Exchange (LAANC) Daniel K. Inouye International in Honolulu, Kahului on Maui, and Līhuʻe on Kauaʻi all sit within Class B or Class C airspace. LAANC approves most low-altitude requests nearly instantly, but some areas and altitudes still need manual FAA review.10Federal Aviation Administration. Flying Near Airports
Military Installations
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kāneʻohe Bay, and other military facilities are designated no-fly zones, with violations carrying both FAA penalties and potential federal criminal charges.11Federal Aviation Administration. No Drone Zone
Temporary Flight Restrictions
TFRs are frequently issued during wildfires, volcanic activity, hurricanes, and large public events. Flying a drone into a wildfire suppression zone is a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 40A, with fines and up to two years in prison, and the FAA actively investigates violations.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 40A – Operation of Unauthorized Unmanned Aircraft Over Wildfires Check the FAA’s TFR map before every flight.
Keep Your Distance from Marine Wildlife
This is the rule most visitors do not know about, and it is where NOAA pursues enforcement. Federal law prohibits approaching humpback whales within 100 yards in Hawaiian waters by any means, drones included. Spinner dolphins require a 50-yard buffer, also federally enforced. Hawaiian monk seals carry a recommended viewing distance of at least 50 feet, rising to 150 feet for mothers with pups, and sea turtles at least 10 feet.13NOAA Fisheries. Viewing Marine Wildlife in Hawaiʻi
The Marine Mammal Protection Act treats harassment broadly. Buzzing, hovering, or landing a drone near marine mammals qualifies as a “take” if it alters the animal’s behavior.14NOAA Fisheries. Viewing Marine Life Civil penalties reach $10,000 per violation, and knowing violations can bring fines up to $20,000 plus a year in prison.15NOAA Fisheries. Marine Mammal Protection Act Flying off a cliff to film whales or turtles is the classic violator pattern.
Drone Fishing Is Effectively Banned
Act 207, enacted in 2022, prohibits using drones for fishing in or near state marine waters without a DLNR permit.16State of Hawaiʻi Division of Aquatic Resources. DAR Conducting Preliminary Drone Permit Survey The Division of Aquatic Resources is still building the permit program, so until it launches, drone fishing in state marine waters is effectively off the table.
Commercial Filming on State Land
Commercial filming with a drone on state-managed land goes through the Hawaii Film Office. A complete application includes the standard film permit, a UAS questionnaire, a flight plan, operator credentials, and proof of insurance.17Hawaii Film Office. Drone Activity The Film Office then coordinates with the relevant DLNR division. State Parks and the Division of Forestry and Wildlife evaluate requests case by case; the Land Division does not permit drone use at all.18Hawaii Film Office. DLNR – Department of Land and Natural Resources When the work is over marine environments, the Division of Aquatic Resources adds conditions to protect rays, sharks, turtles, monk seals, and cetaceans. Start early; multi-agency coordination takes weeks.
Penalties That Stack
A single flight can draw FAA enforcement, federal criminal charges, and Hawaii state prosecution at the same time.
On the FAA civil side, fines reach $75,000 per violation under a ceiling raised by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.19Federal Aviation Administration. FAA Proposed $341,413 in Civil Penalties Against Drone Operators In 2026, the FAA updated its enforcement policy to require legal action whenever drone operations endanger the public, violate airspace restrictions, or further another crime.20Federal Aviation Administration. FAA Steps Up Drone Enforcement in 2025 Recent cases have produced six-figure aggregate penalties against individual operators.
On the federal criminal side, 18 U.S.C. § 39B makes unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft punishable by up to one year in prison. If the operation causes serious bodily injury or death, the ceiling rises to 10 years. Conduct causing or conspiring to cause death can bring a life sentence.21Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 39B – Unsafe Operation of Unmanned Aircraft
Hawaii’s sharpest drone-specific penalty is a privacy statute. Under HRS § 711-1110.9, using a drone to install or operate a recording device in a private place to observe someone undressing or engaged in sexual activity without consent is a class C felony, as is threatening to disclose intimate images captured by any means, drones included.22Justia Law. Hawaii Revised Statutes 711-1110.9 – Violation of Privacy in the First Degree A class C felony carries up to five years in prison.23Justia Law. Hawaii Revised Statutes 706-660 – Sentence of Imprisonment for Class B and C Felonies Using a drone to follow, surveil, or intimidate someone can also support charges under Hawaii’s harassment by stalking statute, HRS § 711-1106.5, which ranges from a misdemeanor to more serious offenses depending on circumstances and prior history.
Reporting an Illegal Drone
Call local law enforcement first for anything that is an immediate safety concern. For ongoing or non-emergency FAA rule violations, contact your local FAA Flight Standards District Office, which has investigators who can follow up with the operator.24Federal Aviation Administration. How Do I Report a Drone Sighting For marine wildlife incidents, NOAA’s Pacific Islands Regional Office handles Marine Mammal Protection Act enforcement in Hawaiian waters.