Can You Legally Fly a Drone Near the Gateway Arch in Missouri?

Laws are having to evolve with fast-developing technology. Don't believe me? Did you know that there are now laws about where you can and cannot fly a drone and that includes specific rules involving the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. It is possible, but the exceptions are rare.

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I got curious about this and didn't trust just any old internet source, so I went straight to the National Park Service to answer the following question - Can you legally fly a drone near the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri?

Let's begin by sharing an actual drone video taken of the Gateway Arch then I'll explain what it takes for that to be legal.

The National Park Service is very specific about what you can and cannot do with a drone near the Gateway Arch. Here's their exact wording:

No. Launching, landing, or operating an unmanned aircraft (UA) from or on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service within the boundaries of the Gateway Arch National Park is prohibited except as approved in writing by the regional director.

The video captured by drone shared above is from a professional videographer who obviously got the approval from the regional director of the National Park Service. If you're going down to St. Louis on vacation to play with your new drone, do not expect that they will say yes to you, too.

Drones are now treated very much like the aircraft they are (albeit without passengers). The skies over the Gateway Arch are heavily-monitored, so any thoughts you have of getting a sneaky drone flight in should be dismissed immediately. Otherwise, you're in for a heck of a lot of legal trouble with the feds.