Andrew Powell
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed legislation that increases regulations around the use of drones and safety risks they pose to critical infrastructure.
Lakeland Republican Rep. Jennifer Canady sponsored the measure (HB 1121).
During the bill’s passage through committee, Canady explained to the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee that the measure aims to address public safety concerns and national security threats posed by the misuse of drones.
“These changes enhance the state’s ability to prevent dangerous and illicit activities involving unmanned aircraft systems, such as the delivery of contraband to correctional facilities, surveillance of critical infrastructure, and even the potential use of chemical warfare,” Canady said.
The law updates the definition of “critical infrastructure facility” to include additional sites such as airports, military installations, dams, wireless communication facilities and correctional facilities.
It prohibits an individual from knowingly flying a drone over or near any critical infrastructure that could interfere with its operations, unless specifically authorized under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.
Drones that have been altered to evade FAA remote identification requirements or drones carrying weapons, explosives, or destructive devices are prohibited. Individuals who use such drones could face criminal penalties.
Criminal penalties also apply to individuals who use drones for unauthorized surveillance and the distribution of images or videos obtained through the use of drones.
But law enforcement will be authorized to use drones to monitor crowds and for other safety purposes, with certain restrictions.
Hillsborough County Republican Rep. Danny Alvarez, the committee Chair, voiced support for taking action.
“This is one of those areas that is very new, and a lot of times we get criticized for not leaning in fast enough and then technology gets ahead of us,” Alvarez said.
The Senate version of the measure (SB 1422), sponsored by Tavares Republican Sen. Keith Truenow, would have allowed private property owners to use “reasonable force” to prohibit a drone from “conducting surveillance.”
“A person who has a reasonable expectation of privacy on his or her privately owned real property may use reasonable force to prohibit a drone from conducting surveillance in violation of this paragraph, if such drone is operating under 500 feet over such property,” Truenow’s Senate bill read.
However, the House version signed by the Governor does not contain these stipulations.
The law will take effect Oct. 1.
One comment
Ron Ogden
May 19, 2025 at 9:46 am
Congratulations to the Republican team in Tallahassee for this long-needed legislation, but we will find in the future that badly intended people will work very hard to find ways around the law. What is needed is tough federal legislation that imposes severe penalties on drone operators who infringe on other peoples’ rights. I’m talking about felony level penalties–as well as rock solid registration rules that require every drone to continuously broadcast ADS-B information including name and address and contact information for the operator of every drone, and a system that offers everyone an opportunity to check on the identity of a drone from their personal devices.