Part 107 Around Washington, DC: The SFRA

The airspace around Washington, DC is the most restricted in the country, and the rules are federal, not local. The FAA's Special Flight Rules Area covers a 30-mile radius around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Inside the 15-mile inner ring, flying a drone is prohibited without specific FAA authorization. Between 15 and 30 miles, non-recreational flights are permitted if they comply with Part 107, an applicable FAA exemption or waiver, or public aircraft rules.

How is the DC airspace divided?

The FAA's DC airspace page describes two rings:

The FAA says these rules were put in place after September 11, 2001, establishing national defense airspace over the area, and that violators face stiff fines and criminal penalties.

How do you get approval for the inner ring?

The FAA says experienced Part 107 and public aircraft operators with justification can request access through its online Access Program, and that a TSA/FAA waiver and an SGI/COA are required. Plan for this to take time, and treat it as an exception process, not routine authorization like LAANC.

What about the outer ring?

Between 15 and 30 miles, a normal Part 107 flight is permitted if it complies with Part 107. That still includes controlled airspace authorization under §107.41, which much of this area needs because of Reagan National, Dulles and BWI. The LAANC guide explains the authorization process.

Is this on the exam?

The specific DC rules are not, but the concepts are. The exam tests restricted and special-use airspace, TFRs and NOTAMs, and §107.45, which bars flying in prohibited or restricted areas without permission from the using or controlling agency. On a sectional chart, the area around DC is marked with prohibited area P-56, which you should be able to recognize; the sectional chart guide covers chart symbols.

A worked example

A client in Arlington, Virginia wants roof photos. (Virginia's own drone laws are in the Virginia post.) Arlington is inside the 15-mile ring, so you cannot take the job on a normal Part 107 basis. A similar job in Frederick, Maryland, outside 30 miles, is outside the SFRA entirely, and a job in Fairfax County may fall in the outer ring, where Part 107 plus any needed controlled airspace authorization applies. Measure the distance from Reagan National before quoting.

Other states are compared in the state drone laws guide.

Stadium, wildfire and VIP restrictions elsewhere work differently; the drone TFR post covers them.