Unmanned Aircraft Systems

571-350-1000 TTY 711
4890 Alliance Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
Department of Emergency Management and Security

Department Resources

UAS Flights within Fairfax County

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operations inside the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Flight Restricted Zone (DC FRZ), as defined in 14 C.F.R. 93.335, are prohibited unless the operator obtains a waiver through the FAA/TSA waiver process. FAA and TSA have developed a process to review requests for waivers on a case-by-case basis.

Guidelines

Flights within Fairfax County, outside of the FRZ:

  • No FRZ FAA/TSA waiver required. No government endorsement or LEO required. *Airport airspace regulations still apply.

Flights within Fairfax County, within the FRZ, outside 7-NMR of DCA:

  • FRZ FAA/TSA waiver required. No government endorsement or LEO required.

Flights within Fairfax County, within the FRZ and 7-NMR of DCA:

  • FAA/TSA waiver required. Government endorsement and LEO required.

Operations within the 7-NMR of DCA (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport), require a federal, state or local government client or sponsor or government endorsement. If the entity for whom the UAS is being operated is not a governmental entity, then the applicant must provide a written endorsement from a government agency documenting that the operation is of operational value, not for recreational use, cannot feasibly be performed by a conventional manned aircraft, and is required for an operational benefit or serves the greater public interest.

To enhance security and visibility of these sensitive operations, the UAS operator must ensure the presence of a Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) with jurisdiction at all times the UAS is in flight within 7 nautical miles of DCA. The LEO must be present at the launch site and monitor the UAS operation.

To initiate the process for obtaining a government endorsement, please contact the Fairfax County District Supervisor’s Office covering the location of your intended flight.

Dranesville District
1437 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA 22101
Phone: 703-356-0551
dranesville@fairfaxcounty.gov

Franconia District
6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA 22310-2508
Phone: 703-971-6262
franconia@fairfaxcounty.gov

Mason District
6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003-2029
Phone: 703-256-7717
mason@fairfaxcounty.gov

Mount Vernon District
2511 Parkers Lane, Mount Vernon, VA 22306-2799
Phone: 703-780-7518
mtvernon@fairfaxcounty.gov

Providence District
3001 Vaden Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031
Phone: 703-560-6946
provdist@fairfaxcounty.gov

To initiate the process for ensuring the presence of a law enforcement officer for flights within 7-NMR of DCA, please contact the Fairfax County Police Department’s Helicopter Division.

Fairfax County Police Department’s Helicopter Division
4604 West Ox Road, Fairfax VA 22030
703-830-3107
Brian.Bowman@fairfaxcounty.gov

Approval of a waiver is subject to completion of a security threat assessment and a review of information regarding the proposed UAS operations. TSA, in coordination with federal law enforcement partners, reviews waiver applications to ensure that the proposed UAS operations are consistent with the below requirements and do not pose a security threat. Below are instructions for submitting the required material to TSA to support a request to conduct UAS operations in the DC FRZ portions of Fairfax County.

To request a waiver to operate a UAS in the DC FRZ, submit an application via the TSA/FAA Waiver and Airspace Access Program at https://waivers.faa.gov.

UAS Airspace Map

This application provides a reference for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) pilots flying missions in Fairfax County.

Fairfax County does not maintain or service the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data layers in this application and pilots should ensure compliance with all applicable FAA regulations when conducting operations.

View the UAS Airspace Map

Unmanned Aircraft System Resources

About the UAS Program
Flying / Waivers
Missions
Program Manual
Parks Drone Rules
Virginia UAS Code
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