If you’ve ever felt irritated by drones constantly hovering in the airspace directly above your house or property, you might want to know how to legally take down a drone.

So, what should you do to keep drones away? Fortunately, there are ways to address this issue.

In this article, you’ll learn about legal methods to take down a drone.

 

Ways to Legally Take Down a Drone

Here are some ways to legally take down a drone:

Ask Drone Pilot to Stop Flying

Although this one is not a sure-shot way to stop a drone from flying around you, it can be quite effective in a lot of situations. There may be instances when a drone pilot doesn’t realize that their drone use is bothering you, whether it’s because it’s making too much noise, or it’s invading your privacy. So, the best way to stop it is by politely requesting the drone pilot to stop the drone from flying around you or your property. Unfortunately, the pilot does not legally have to comply with your request. But, if you ask nicely, the chances are that they will avoid flying their drone around you.

Read here a full instruction on how to stop drone from flying around your house.

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Use Signs to Mark Your Property as a Drone-Free Area

If you don’t want drones to fly above your property, then using signs to mark your property as a drone-free area can be highly effective. Again, the pilot does not legally have to comply. But, you can hope that after looking at those signs, drone pilots will pay heed to your warning. Just make sure that you don’t claim your property as a “no drone zone” because that will be inaccurate as per the FAA UAS regulations. In such a case, you may be asked to remove the signage.

File a Complaint

Here are the rules that a drone pilot has to comply with while flying their drone:

  • Drones cannot fly over stadiums & sporting events, airports, government-secured airspaces, and the greater Washington, D.C. area.
  • Drones are allowed to fly only during daylight in uncontrolled airspace below 400 feet (120 m).
  • Drones must not exceed a speed of 100 miles (160 km) per hour.
  • Drones cannot take pictures and videos of you without your consent.

If you find that the drone operator is violating any of these rules, then you can report that it is breaking FAA rules and regulations. This can be done by contacting your local Flight Standards District Office.

Find your local Flight Standards District Office here: Flight Standards District Offices (FSDO) (faa.gov)

However, please note that simply being bothered by a drone over your property isn’t adequate ground to file a complaint.

Also, at times obtaining evidence that the drone is indeed committing any wrongdoing, for example, proving that it’s taking footage of you is incredibly difficult.

 

Can I Shoot Down a Drone?

It’s illegal for you to forcibly take down the drone from the area by any means, even if it’s hovering above your property. So, while it’s the most obvious way to take down a drone, shooting down a drone is illegal. This method is only meant to be used by law enforcement agencies in extreme cases, and not by the general public. Under FAA laws, the destruction of an aircraft is a felony offense that carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

 

Last Tips

There are plenty of ways to take down a drone. Some are legal, but a lot of them are illegal. Apart from shooting down a drone, there are many other ways to take down a drone that are illegal. These ways include using an anti-drone drone, using jammers, or anti-drone lasers. But, I don’t recommend using any of these methods, as it would amount to taking the law into your own hands. By doing so, you may be criminally charged for interfering with legal drone piloting.

Therefore, using signs or requesting the drone pilot are the two best ways to stop drones from bothering you. In addition, if you find that the drone pilot is violating any law as outlined by the FAA, consider contacting your local law enforcement.

 

Thanks for reading!

I hope this guide helped you find out all about how you can legally take down a drone 🙂

 

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