The State Fair of Texas is—and has always been—a private entity. The Fair leases the Fair Park property from the City of Dallas but is not part of the City or controlled by a government body.
The State Fair of Texas prohibits the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, within the 277 acres of Fair Park without prior written approval of State Fair’s Public Relations Department. This process safeguards that the remote pilot complies with current FAA rules, provisions, and guidance by taking a responsible, risk-based approach to ensure the safety of the thousands of “non-participants” within the dynamic “open-air assembly” nature of the Fair event. Law enforcement will respond to all unauthorized UAS to identify the pilot and document the aircraft in use. The State Fair of Texas prohibits the use of all remote controlled devices of any type, including, but not limited to, aircraft, drones, quad-copters, cars or trucks, on or above property owned, leased or controlled by the Fair. Individuals violating State Fair rules are subject to ejection from the grounds and/or criminal enforcement of applicable statutes.