Flying drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)

You need to follow New Zealand Civil Aviation regulations and any other laws or bylaws that apply to flying a drone or UAV.

Where you can fly a drone or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)

Private property

You can fly a drone on your own property. If you want to fly over someone else’s property, you must get permission from the property owner or occupier first.

Local parks

You can fly a drone or UAV without a permit in most local parks around Auckland.

You cannot fly a drone or UAV at any time in:

Contact us if you are unsure about using drones and UAVs in Auckland’s local parks.

Regional parks

You can fly a drone or UAV at some regional parks but you must have a permit.

Fill in the form and email it to visitorexperienceparksservices@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz to apply for a permit.

Regional parks where you cannot fly a drone or UAV

You cannot fly a drone or UAV at these regional parks at any time:

Council-managed land

To use a drone or UAV on council-managed land, you must follow any rules and regulations and comply with New Zealand Civil Aviation regulations.

Other places where you need permission to fly a drone or UAV

You must get permission before flying a drone or UAV:

within 4km of an airport or airfield. Visit AirShare to log a request.
on protected conservation land
at places used to educate children under 18 years, including:
- early childhood centres
- primary schools
- intermediate schools
- secondary schools
on roads, road reserves and at train stations
over railways.

Professional filming with a drone or UAV

You need a permit to use a drone or UAV for professional filming in public places, including:

film and television productions (such as documentaries and TV shows)
advertisements
videos made for payment or promotion.

Visit Screen Auckland for more information about commercial drone and UAV permits.

Privacy laws for drones and UAVs

Privacy Act 2020

You could be in breach When someone breaks the rules or an agreement. of the Privacy Act 2020 if your drone or UAV captures personal information, imagery or videos.

You must understand the rules about the types of images and videos of people you can collect, store and share. You could be prosecuted if you breach the rules.

Personal information

Personal information is any information that can tell us something about a specific person. This can include clear imagery that can identify the person in a public or private place and has been taken without their permission.

Intimate recordings

Drones and UAVs might take intimate recordings of people without their permission. A drone or UAV can breach the Privacy Act 2020 or Crimes Act 1961 if:

it flies near or over private property and takes photos or videos without the occupier’s permission
privacy is affected to an ‘unreasonable extent’.

This can include imagery taken in public places.

Injury to feelings

If images contain personal information and the person is upset, anxious or angry about this, they may suffer an ‘injury to feelings’. This could be a serious breach of the Act.

Rules and regulations for drones and UAVs

To fly a drone or UAV you must comply with:

Weight limits for drones and UAVs

Drones and UAVs must not weigh more than 25kg.
You must not fly drones heavier than 2.5kg without permission from Auckland Council on any council-managed land.

Civil Aviation rules and regulations

You must:

not fly a drone higher than 120m (400 feet) above ground level
not fly within 4km of an airport, airfield or helipad unless you have a valid Part 101 pilot certificate and receive clearance from:
- the air traffic controller for controlled airports, airfields or helipads, or
- the aerodrome operator for uncontrolled airports, airfields or helipads
give way to any aircraft carrying people, like planes, helicopters, hang gliders and paragliders. Land your aircraft immediately if another aircraft approaches
be able to see your drone at all times using your own eyes
only fly during daylight, unless flying as a ‘shielded operation’
check for airspace restrictions before flying. Visit Airshare to check airspace restrictions.
have permission from the landowner or manager of the land you want to fly a drone or UAV over.

Visit Part 101 Civil Aviation Rules for more information.

Flying a drone on council-managed land

To fly a drone on council-managed land, you must:

log your planned flight on Airshare
fly no closer than 30m to other park users, including dogs and horses, unless you have permission
keep at least 20m away from all buildings
keep at least 50m away from infrastructure such as power lines and mobile phone towers
not fly over, or within 30m of:
- livestock in parks
- threatened or rare wildlife, including shorebirds and wetland bird species and their habitats such as wetlands, estuaries, dunes and beaches
- nesting or roosting birds
take off no closer than 100m to threatened or rare wildlife
not fly over sports fields in use or large groups of people unless you have permission
not fly over public roads on park land
not fly above or within 50m of a playground that is in use
stay within park boundaries and not fly over nearby private property
stop using your drone if Auckland Council staff ask you to
comply with the Privacy Act 2020 and Crimes Act 1961 if collecting data
not disturb public works or business operations on public land
not fly over sites of significance to mana whenua without permission
not fly if you have taken drugs or drunk alcohol.

Public Safety and Nuisance Bylaw 2013

You must not use your drone or UAV in a way that may scare, harm, cause danger or create a nuisance to anyone. Visit Public Safety and Nuisance Bylaw 2013 to find out more.

Our advice

We advise all drone and UAV users to:

complete Part 101 or Part 102 training from a CAA Part 141 organisation
create a mission plan before flying. This plan should show how you will minimise risks to people, property, aircraft, cultural sites and ecosystems
use signage to advise the public you are flying a drone in the area
have a dedicated observer to help identify risks
stay alert and be ready to lower or land the drone if another aircraft with passengers enters the same airspace.
connect the drone controller to the internet where possible. Some controllers can provide pilot location, speed and height information of nearby aircraft
fly no higher than 75m above ground level within 4km of an airport, airfield or helipad.

Make a complaint about a drone or UAV

Drones or UAVs that breach your privacy

If a drone or UAV flies above your property without permission, or you feel your privacy has been breached When someone breaks the rules or an agreement., you can make a complaint to:

Drones or UAVs that breach public safety and nuisance rules

Call us on 09 301 0101 if someone using a drone or UAV breaches:

the Public Safety and Nuisance Bylaw 2013
any rules and regulations for drones and UAVs.

Drones or UAVs that breach civil aviation rules

Report any breach of civil aviation rules to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Report an urgent threat to public safety

Call the police on 111 if a drone or UAV causes an urgent threat to public safety.