Washington Drone Laws

Washington UAS Laws

Note on Federal vs State Laws:

Federal airspace laws take precedence over state drone laws. If a state or local law directly conflicts with FAA regulations, the state or local law is likely to be invalidated. 

Definitions:

“Drones” should apply to unmanned aerial vehicles controlled by a remote operator.

Sample definition: “An unmanned aircraft that is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft.”

Statutes/Bills:

WAC 200-250-030 Drone use prohibited; State Capitol Campus

Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft from or on lands and waters within the boundaries of the state capitol campus is prohibited except for the exclusions listed under WAC 200-250-040.

RCW 47.68.250 Registration of aircraft. (Effective until July 1, 2031.)

(1) Every aircraft, inclusive of commercial unpiloted aircraft systems, must be registered with the department for each calendar year in which the aircraft is operated or is based within this state. A fee of fifteen dollars is charged for each such registration and each annual renewal thereof.

"Unpiloted aircraft system" means an aircraft operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft and is synonymous with the term "unmanned aircraft system". An unpiloted aircraft system must meet the same criteria and standards established by the federal aviation administration for an unmanned aircraft system.

The Chief Privacy Officer of the Washington Office of Privacy and Data Protection issued guidelines for unmanned aircraft systems for policy makers and stakeholders as they develop policy proposals.