Drone Laws You Need to Be Aware Of

Drones are a lot of fun and there are lots of reasons to fly one, but what you might not know is that they are subject to the same laws as any other aircraft. There are a number of state and federal drone laws that you need to be aware of.

Some states require registration of drones and others have specific regulations on their use. In addition to these national rules, individual cities, towns and counties have their own rules. This is why it is important to research the specifics of your area before you start using a drone.

For example, the state of Utah prohibits flying drones in National Parks without a special permit. This is to preserve the natural habitat and wildlife of these parks. The last thing you want is for a group of birds or a bear to be startled by your drone and then flee their habitat.

It also states that it is illegal to operate a drone in order to photograph any public place where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy and requires a permit for use on a public school or college campus. It also forbids the use of a drone to photograph any military or correctional facility. If you break these drone laws, it can result in a class B misdemeanor or a class A misdemeanor if the information is distributed or posted to the internet.

In Pennsylvania, it is illegal to use a drone to violate a person’s reasonable expectation of privacy, or for any other purpose not authorized by law. It also forbids using a drone to trespass on someone’s property in order to peep or spy on them and classifies this as a misdemeanor.

Another law that was passed was SB 1587 which permits the use of drones by police with a warrant during a disaster, a health emergency or a public safety incident. This law also requires that law enforcement agencies destroy any information gathered by drones and specifies that municipalities cannot regulate the use of drones, except in cities with more than 1 million residents.

Drones are great for a variety of different applications and can provide valuable data to businesses, governments, scientists and private individuals. Some examples include:

Construction companies, insurance, building engineers and architects are already using drones to inspect buildings to check for leakage, electrical faults, structural damage and more. This allows them to complete these inspections more quickly and efficiently and saves on labor costs. It can also help with environmental inspections, checking landfill sites for pollutants and identifying areas that need more protection against flooding or erosion. This will reduce the amount of waste and improve efficiency. The drones can be used to inspect hard-to-reach areas that would be difficult for humans to access and reduce the risk of injuries or fatalities. It can also save time and money on transportation, labour and maintenance costs. In addition, it can reduce fuel consumption and emissions.