Drones are not allowed in NY City for recreational and commercial use, subject to FAA regulations and flight controls put in place by local governments.
NYC Administrative code requires a drone operator to take off or land in specific places designated by the department of transportation or the port of New York authority. The code also makes it unlawful for a drone operator navigating drones to take off or land, except in an emergency, at any other place within the city’s limits. The rule serves to limit take-off and landings to regulated heliports and airports. The city later created a general restriction declaring all drone flights in New York City illegal.