Unlawful use of a drone · as in force on May 31, 2026
* § 280.05 Unlawful use of a drone.
A person commits unlawful use of a drone when such person:
1. operates a drone in a nefarious manner; or
2. operates a drone over prohibited space without express prior approval from someone the person reasonably believes has the authority to grant such approval.
Unlawful use of a drone is a class A misdemeanor.
* NB Effective August 25, 2026
A person commits unlawful drone use by operating a drone in a nefarious manner or by flying it over prohibited space without express advance approval from someone reasonably believed authorized to give it. ★ It is a class A misdemeanor.
Marked in the text: penalties, time limits, sums of money. Editorial emphasis added by this edition; it does not appear in the statute as enacted.
This provision appears in Volume 4 — The Court Clerk: Penal Law; Volume 1 — The Court Officer in Plain English; Volume 3 — The Court Officer: Penal Law; Volume 3 — Your Career: Penal Law in Plain English.