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North Carolina state parks
Managed by NC State Parks. These are statewide rules; individual parks may post stricter ones. Federal land inside North Carolina follows federal rules, and drones also follow FAA rules.
Metal detecting Not allowed
Recreational metal detecting is prohibited; a detector may be used only to find lost property with a special use permit.
- Permit
- Special use permit for lost items.
- Sources
- ncparks.gov · ncparks.gov
- Notes
- 07 NCAC 13B .0203.
- Verified
- 2026-10-21 · official text read
Confirm with the park before you go. Individual parks can post their own closures and rules.
Drones Permit / permission needed
Drones may not take off or land without a special use permit, and permits are limited and usually tied to park projects.
- Permit
- Special use permit.
- Sources
- ncparks.gov
- Verified
- 2026-10-21 · official text read
Confirm with the park before you go. Individual parks can post their own closures and rules.
Machine-readable: /api/states/nc.json