okay so i just got my first drone a few weeks ago, nothing fancy just a mini 3 pro, and ive been wanting to take it out to the beach near me which is in socal. my buddy told me its illegal to fly at state beaches but i honestly cant find a clear answer anywhere. the FAA website is kind of a nightmare to navigate and i dont really understand what counts as controlled airspace vs just a regular area. do i need to register it? do i need a license just to fly for fun? i feel like i read somewhere thats only if youre getting paid but im not 100% sure. just want to take some shots of the sunset without getting a massive fine

yeah this is one of those things where federal and state rules kind of collide and it gets confusing fast. so FAA rules apply everywhere in the US - you do need to register your drone if its over 250g (the mini 3 pro is just over that so yes you need to), and you need to pass TRUST which is the free online safety test for recreational flyers. thats the federal baseline. now california state beaches are a separate headache because a lot of them fall under california state parks jurisdiction and they have their own no-drone policies that are technically separate from FAA rules. your buddy isnt totally wrong. some beaches are fine, some are not, and it really depends on the specific beach and who manages it. i'd honestly just look up the specific beach on google plus "drone" and see what comes up, then cross-check with the B4UFLY app which shows restricted airspace. and always check local city ordinances too because some coastal cities have their own rules layered on top

got nailed at coronado beach a while back, ranger came up and told me no drones allowed on the beach. wasnt an FAA thing, just their own park rules. didnt get fined but he made me pack it up. so yeah just because its legal airspace doesnt mean the land you're standing on allows it