so ive been trying to figure this out for like two weeks and i keep getting different answers depending on what website i look at. i got a mavic mini 2 and i just want to fly it at a state park near me in texas, nothing crazy just some footage of the lake and trees and stuff. some sites say its fine because its under 250g and some say state parks have their own rules that override the FAA stuff. im so confused. do i need to like call the park or is there a simple yes or no answer here

okay so this is actually a bit of a mess and theres no clean yes or no unfortunately. the FAA rules and state/local rules are basically two separate layers and both apply at the same time. the FAA part, yeah youre mostly fine with the mini 2 under 250g for recreational stuff as long as youre not near airports or restricted airspace. but Texas state parks specifically, tpwd has a policy that basically bans drones in state parks unless you get a permit, and those permits are mostly for commercial or research use from what i understand. so even though the FAA doesnt care, the park itself can still kick you out or fine you. i'd genuinely just call the park office before you go, takes two minutes and saves a headache

yeah what he said. i made the mistake of assuming "under 250g means i can fly anywhere" when i first started and got told to land at a state park in colorado. the ranger was cool about it but it was embarrassing. the weight exemption only matters for FAA registration, it doesnt magically make every location legal. always check the actual land management rules for wherever youre going