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National Wildlife Refuges (USFWS)
Drones Not allowed
Launching, landing or disturbing wildlife with a drone on a national wildlife refuge is prohibited. Don't rely on apps like B4UFLY to show refuge boundaries.
- Permit
- Commercial photography by drone needs a permit (43 CFR 5.1-12). There is no recreational permit.
- Sources
- fws.gov · fws.gov · ecfr.gov
- Notes
- 50 CFR 27.34, 27.51.
- Verified
- 2026-10-21 · official text read
Confirm with the park before you go. Individual parks can post their own closures and rules.
Metal detecting Not allowed
Removing or disturbing any natural object or artifact on a refuge is prohibited (50 CFR 27.61), and refuge rules pages commonly ban using or even possessing metal detectors. Treat refuges as no-detecting unless a refuge explicitly says otherwise.
- Permit
- None.
- Sources
- ecfr.gov · fws.gov · fws.gov
- Notes
- No system-wide CFR section names metal detectors. The prohibition is shown in individual refuge rules (Okefenokee, Loxahatchee) plus the 27.61 removal ban.
- Verified
- 2026-10-21 · official text read
⚠️ Needs review: we couldn't fully confirm this against the official text yet. Please check with the park directly.
Confirm with the park before you go. Individual parks can post their own closures and rules.
Drones also follow FAA rules.
Machine-readable: /api/federal/fws.json