KONAHDrone rules for listings in DC and Northern Virginia.
Washington has some of the most controlled airspace in the country, and a lot of our listings sit under it. That doesn't mean no aerials. It means the right paperwork, filed by a certified pilot, sometimes with a few days' lead time. Here's how it works, with the FAA sources.
Listing aerials are commercial flights
The FAA separates recreational flying from everything else. Photographing a listing is flying for a business, even if it's your own listing and nobody pays for the photos. That puts it under the FAA's small drone rule, 14 CFR Part 107, which means the person flying needs a Part 107 remote pilot certificate, the drone must be registered and marked, and most drones must broadcast Remote ID. Part 107 also sets the everyday limits: generally under 400 feet above the ground, within the pilot's visual line of sight, yielding to crewed aircraft, and restrictions on flying over people and moving vehicles.
When you hire a drone photographer, ask to see the certificate and ask about insurance. Every KONAH drone pilot is Part 107 certified, and every drone address goes through an airspace check when you book.
The Washington rings, from the FAA
The FAA's page on flying near the capital (faa.gov, updated Sept 16, 2026) describes a Special Flight Rules Area within a 30-mile radius of Reagan National Airport, divided into a 15-mile inner ring and a 30-mile outer ring. In the FAA's words, flying an unmanned aircraft within the 15-mile inner ring "is prohibited without specific FAA authorization." For commercial operators, the same page points to the FAA's process for requesting that authorization and lists a TSA/FAA waiver among the requirements for the inner ring. Between 15 and 30 miles, Part 107 flights can go ahead under the normal rules and any airspace authorization they need.
On a map, the 15-mile ring around Reagan National covers all of DC, Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, most of inner Fairfax County including McLean, Tysons and Annandale, Lorton, and the Maryland suburbs closest to the city such as Bethesda, Silver Spring and much of inner Prince George's County. Woodbridge, Occoquan, Manassas, Reston, Ashburn and Stafford sit outside it.
Drone inside the 15-mile ring: yes, with lead time
Inside the inner ring, drone is still available for a listing. The difference is that our Part 107 pilot files the FAA/TSA authorization request before the flight, and it's a matter of days, not minutes. For a DC rowhouse, an Arlington condo building or an Alexandria colonial, that changes the plan in one way: book the aerials a few business days ahead. If the listing date is close, we shoot the photos and video on the ground first and return for the aerials once the authorization is approved, so the listing doesn't wait.
Two other practical points inside the city: buildings and HOAs may need to approve a take-off from a roof or common area, and national park land has its own rules on launching. The pilot handles both as part of planning.
Near airports: LAANC, usually in minutes
Outside the inner ring, controlled airspace around airports still needs authorization. In our area that means the rings around Dulles (IAD), BWI, Manassas Regional (HEF) and, for NOTAM checks, Stafford Regional (RMN). For most of these, Part 107 pilots use LAANC, the FAA's Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability, through FAA-approved apps. At the low heights real estate work uses, LAANC approvals usually come back in minutes. For you, nothing changes: the pilot requests it before take-off and keeps to the approved altitude.
Military areas: Quantico and Andrews
Two military installations shape our map. Marine Corps Base Quantico sits right between Woodbridge and Stafford, and Joint Base Andrews is in Prince George's County. KONAH's booking check treats both as areas where the pilot needs authorization and coordination before flying, so addresses near them are planned a few business days out, the same as the DC zone. Andrews is close enough to DC that most addresses near it are also inside the 15-mile ring. We don't publish the exact boundaries of military airspace here; the pilot works from the FAA's current charts and notices.
How KONAH checks every address
When you book a shoot with drone, the address is measured against the same rings we use internally: the DC Flight Restricted Zone at about 15 nautical miles (17.3 regular miles) around Reagan National, the Reagan National Class B surface area, Dulles and BWI Class B, Manassas Regional Class D, Quantico, Stafford Regional and Andrews. Dispatch sees the result with the order. Then, on the day, the pilot runs B4UFLY and LAANC, because temporary flight restrictions (presidential movements, stadium events, emergencies) can appear at short notice.
You can run the same check yourself, for free, with our drone airspace and authorization checker. It tells you which of three outcomes applies: no authorization needed, LAANC (usually minutes), or FAA/TSA authorization for the DC zone (a few business days).
Weather is the other half
Even with every authorization in hand, wind and rain decide the day. Our pilots don't fly in rain or in winds too strong for steady footage, which in practice means anything gusting around 20 mph. When weather stops a flight, we shoot the rest of the listing and reschedule the aerials at no charge. Low cloud and haze can also flatten aerials, so a clear morning after a front passes is often the best drone weather of the week.
Privacy and neighbors
The FAA governs the airspace, but state and local rules still apply to where a drone takes off and lands and to privacy. Good practice is simple: launch from the listing property with the owner's permission, frame on the subject property, don't hover over neighbors' yards, and never photograph people in private spaces. A quick heads-up to neighbors before a flight in a tight neighborhood heads off most questions.
What to tell sellers
Sellers love aerials and rarely know about airspace. Set expectations in one sentence: "Drone is part of the plan; near DC and the bases the pilot files the authorization first, so the aerials may come a few days after the photos." Ask about anything that matters for a flight: horses or dogs in the yard, a pool cover that should be off, cars to move. And frame what aerials are for: lot size and boundaries, the roof, the approach, water or open space, the neighborhood setting.
Flying your own listings
Plenty of agents earn their own Part 107 certificate. If you do, treat it as a professional skill: pass the knowledge test, keep current with recurrent training, register the aircraft and meet Remote ID, learn to read sectional charts, get comfortable with LAANC, carry insurance, and practice in open areas before flying over a client's roof. Around Washington, also learn the FAA's process for the inner ring before you promise a seller aerials inside it.
General information, not legal or aviation advice. Airspace rules change and temporary restrictions appear at short notice. The FAA's current rules, NOTAMs and B4UFLY are the final word.