City officials have passed an ordinance restricting the use of drones to its owner's private property.
The ordinance was approved Monday after the Ashland Board of Aldermen passed it on Dec.1.
The Federal Aviation Administration prohibits drones from flying higher than 400 feet, or within 5 miles of an airport. Ashland is about 5 miles from Columbia Regional Airport.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that owners may fly the drones outside their property if they receive permission from other property owners. The ordinance also states that drones cannot be flown higher than 130 feet.
Acting city administrator Lyn Woolford said the new ordinance is more of a guideline than a restriction, noting that it was adopted to deal with an expected surge of drones given as Christmas gifts.