Sectional chart reference

Prohibited Area (P-###)

Blue hatched boundary.

Prohibited Area (P-###) as printed on a VFR sectional chart: Blue hatched boundary. The illustration shows a boundary line with hatching on the inside of the area. P-40
Drawn to the depiction described in the FAA Aeronautical Chart Users’ Guide, effective 9 July 2026. Illustrative, not to scale, and not for navigation.

What you are looking at

Flight prohibited at all times (security/national welfare). Not authorizable via LAANC.

FloorSurface
CeilingPublished
Part 107 at 400 ft Flight prohibited
Source: depiction per the FAA Aeronautical Chart Users’ Guide, effective 9 July 2026 (PDF).

What that verdict means here

A Prohibited Area is closed to flight for reasons of national security or welfare. LAANC does not reach it. LAANC authorises flight in controlled airspace, and this is a different thing entirely. Entry needs the using agency’s permission, and for most of these areas that permission is not available to a civil operator.

⚠️ § 107.41, the ATC-authorization rule quoted on the Class B, C, D and E-surface pages, is not the rule that governs this symbol, which is why it is not quoted here.

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Not for navigation. Study material, not authority. This page explains a chart symbol for study. It is not an authorization source and not a substitute for an official pre-flight check. Confirm on the FAA’s own chart viewer and through LAANC before you fly.

Related symbols

Restricted Area (R-###)Warning Area (W-###)Military Operations Area (MOA)Alert Area (A-###)National Security Area (NSA)

See all 19 symbols →