WTF?! We’ve seen stories of people shooting down drones in the past – and usually facing legal consequences for their actions. But Florida could introduce a law that would allow someone to blast a drone out of the sky if it strays over their property.
Bill SB1422, which is currently making its way through the Florida Senate, seeks to expand the definition of no-fly-zone restrictions on unmanned aircraft systems. These areas currently cover the likes of prisons and airports, but the bill seeks to add residential homes.
Under the bill, homeowners will be permitted to use “reasonable force” to prevent a drone from violating their expectation of privacy.
The bill specifies that the drone must be flying under 500 feet over someone’s property before they are allowed to take action against it.
There’s no definition of what reasonable force entails, but considering it’s a drone flying several hundred feet in the air, it’s pretty obvious what most people’s favorite deterrent method will be.
However, Florida’s potential law appears to conflict with federal law. Under FAA guidelines, drones are considered aircraft, so shooting one down could lead to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to a quarter of a million dollars, even if one is hovering over your backyard.
Even Florida’s own current laws could be a problem. The state prohibits the firing of a gun in a residential neighborhood unless the resident is defending their life or property or engaging in lawful hunting. It’s hard to imagine drones being a threat to life or property.
Florida state Sen. Jason Pizzo warned during a committee hearing last week that people shouldn’t start stocking up on ammo and sniper rifles. “There was mention that ‘reasonable force’ might include shooting it down […] But I don’t want anyone under the notion that they can go and just shoot things down from the air, which is actually punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison.”
Florida already prohibits drone owners from using the devices to take photos or videos of private property, citing a person’s right to privacy, though there is nothing in the statute about using a live feed.
The bill has already made its way through several committees and is set for a vote by the full senate. Should it pass, the law could come into effect as early as October this year.
Last July, a 72-year-old man was arrested in Florida after he admitted to shooting down a Walmart delivery drone. He told officers that he had prior experience with drones and believed that the UAV was surveilling him. In an impressive display of marksmanship, he struck the drone with a shot from his 9mm pistol as it hovered about 75 feet above the ground.
