You technically cannot stop drones from flying over your house. However, you can ensure that drones follow all the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. There are also things that you can do to limit drones that fly over your property such as posting signs and asking the pilot not to fly over your house.
Hello folks! My name is Lavelle and I am a long-time drone enthusiast and drone pilot. I have flown my drones for both commercial and recreational purposes and have spoken with many homeowners over the course of my piloting career.
In this article, I will cover some of the things that you can do to stop or limit drone activity over your property. I will also address some of the do’s and don’t as they relate to keeping drones from flying over your home.
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Key Takeaways
- Homeowners have a right to a nuisance-free environment at home.
- Many drone operators will respect your request to not fly over their homes.
- When you want drones to stop flying over your property, remember to follow all federal, state, and local laws.
How to Stop Drones from Flying Over Your House: Step-by-Step Guide
Here are some steps that you can take to stop or limit drones from flying over your home.
Please note that these are suggestions and that no attempt to stop a drone from flying over your home should break federal, state, or local laws.
Step 1. Check the Law Regulations in Your Area
Firstly, you can check the local applicable laws and/or ordinances in your area regarding drone activity. Each jurisdiction may have its own laws in place and caution should be taken to ensure that you and the drone pilots are both following all applicable regulations.
Step 2. Contact the Drone Operator
Another option for stopping drones from flying over your home is to speak with the drone operator directly. In many cases, the drone operator will acquiesce to your request and respect your property.
Step 3. Report the Incident to Local Law Enforcement Officials
If the flying over your home persists and all other attempts to amicably resolve the issues are not successful, you can report the incident to your local law enforcement authority. Law enforcement will ensure that all laws are being followed.
Step 4. Report the Incident to the FAA
You also have the ability to report the incident to the FAA. Should a drone operator not follow all FAA guidelines, the operator may be fined or face more severe consequences. To report an incident to the FAA, contact your local flight standards office.
Step 5. Check with Your Local Neighborhood Association
Your local neighborhood association or homeowners association (HOA) may have information on ordinances regarding drone activity in your neighborhood. Contact your local representative for more information.
Step 6. Think About Private Cause of Action
If for some reason you cannot come to an amicable agreement with the drone operator or you are not able to speak with them directly, gather all the information about the drone that you can get and provide that information to the local authorities.
Look for things like the registration number of the drone, its approximate size, color, etc. and take any photos that you can get of the drone.
How to Use Technology to Stop Drones from Flying Over Your House
There is technology available that helps you limit or deter drone activity over your house. You can use things such as drone jammer applications that scramble the signal over your airspace. There are also other applications such as GPS spoofers that replace the drone’s signal to its GPS.
You should always use caution when employing any of these applications as there are federal guidelines against certain jammer and spoofer applications.
FAQs
Here are some answers to a few of the frequently asked questions about stopping drones from flying over your house.
Can You Block a Drone Signal?
Yes, you can block a drone signal over your property. There are applications available that help you jam or block drone signals in your home’s airspace. However, it is important to note that using signal jamming technology to block drone signals is illegal in many states.
Can a Laser Pointer Take Down a Drone?
Pointing a laser at an aircraft, including drones, is illegal. Some high-powered laser pointers will cause a drone to crash, however, most consumer laser pointers are not powerful enough to take a drone down.
Is There a Drone Detector App?
Yes, there are several drone detection applications on the market. Some of them include Dronecast, Dronelink, Dronefinder, and many others.
Final Thoughts
Some homeowners find drones to be a nuisance and are concerned about their privacy being invaded by drones flying over their property. In most cases, a healthy conversation with the drone pilot will alleviate most concerns. However, in cases where that is not the outcome, homeowners should contact their local law enforcement officials or reach out to the local FAA field office in their area.
Have drones flown over your property ever bothered you? How did you stop it? Share your experience and tips in the comments section below.
