What are the drone laws in Florida?

Section 330.41 of the Florida Statutes makes it a third-degree felony to knowingly or willfully fly a drone over a critical infrastructure facility, let it touch one, or fly close enough to interfere with it. The list includes power and water facilities, gas pipelines, airports, seaports, dams, military installations, and jails and prisons. Except for seaports, a facility counts only if it is fenced or posted with no-entry signs. The ban does not cover the owner, anyone with written consent, government agencies, or commercial flights authorized under federal rules.

The same law bans flying over a public or private school, pre-K through grade 12, without the school's written consent, flying on land classified as agricultural without the owner's written consent, and using a drone to touch people or property on private land to harass them. Recording video raises the penalty for the school and harassment offenses.

A second law, section 934.50, covers privacy. Since October 1, 2025, knowingly using a drone camera to record private property, or its owner, tenants or guests, to conduct surveillance in violation of their reasonable expectation of privacy and without their written consent, is a first-degree misdemeanor. Doing that and intentionally distributing the recording is a third-degree felony.

State law bars cities and counties from making their own drone rules, except where the statute allows it. The Federal Aviation Administration, the federal agency that regulates small drones, also has rules: a drone may not fly higher than 400 feet above the ground, except within 400 feet of a structure, where it may go up to 400 feet above the structure. The agency's toll-free number is 1-866-835-5322.

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