Safer Skies for Ohio Farmers Under New Drone Law

By Andi Anderson

A drone like this one is subject to new safety and privacy rules in Ohio. Ohio’s new drone law (House Bill 77) aims to improve safety and privacy while aligning state rules with federal drone regulations.

It also clearly defines what counts as a “drone.” Under Ohio law, a drone (an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV) is defined as an aircraft with no human on board that flies autonomously or by remote control.

Prohibited drone operations –

Ohio forbids four kinds of drone misuse:

Endangerment: Flying a drone in a way that endangers people or property is illegal,

punishable by a $500 fine and up to six months in jail.

Interference: Drones cannot interfere with police, fire, or emergency medical services.

Such interference can result in misdemeanor or felony charges.

Critical Facilities: Using a drone to spy on or linger around sensitive sites like hospitals or prisons with criminal intent is forbidden. These acts carry severe penalties, including felony charges and jail time.

FAA Rules: Operators must obey all FAA rules; any drone action banned by federal law – for example, flying an unregistered drone or without a required license – is also illegal in Ohio.

Local government authority. Local governments can now create their own drone rules for recreational drone use over public property and for their own drone operations.

This change gives communities a way to ensure drones are used safely in public spaces. What it means for farmers. The new law holds drone pilots accountable to fly safely and respect privacy, which reassures farmers.

If a drone trespasses or threatens a farm, farmers can report it and authorities can take action.

Federal rules like drone registration and “Remote ID” signals help authorities identify a drone’s owner. No shooting down drones. Shooting down a drone is a federal crime. It’s not only illegal but also dangerous – a falling drone could injure someone, and the shooter may be held liable for damage.

The proper response to a nuisance drone is to report it to authorities rather than taking it down yourself.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-seregalsv