Drone law

How do you report a drone over your property, and find out who is flying it?

How to report it

Report it to your local police first, and to the FAA for airspace-safety violations. You usually cannot identify the operator yourself. For a drone that is harassing you, invading your privacy, or flying dangerously, the FAA directs the public to contact local law enforcement first, because police handle the on-scene response and any state-law matter. Report an unsafe or unauthorized operation (near an airport, over people, above the altitude limit, or by an unregistered flyer) to the FAA through its UAS sightings channel. Remote ID broadcasts a drone's identity and location, but matching that to a named person runs through the FAA and law enforcement, not a public lookup. Every step here is attributed to the FAA, and none of it is legal advice.

✓ Last verified Jan 1, 20244 sources

Find out instantly when it changes.

Start by documenting the flight: the date, the time, how long the drone stayed, its altitude and direction, a description, and anything you saw it do. Photos or video from your own property help. The drone is usually gone before anyone can respond, so your record is what lets an authority act.

For anything happening on the ground, call your local police. The FAA directs the public to contact local law enforcement first for a drone that is flying dangerously, harassing people, or invading privacy, because officers handle the on-scene response and any state-law matter such as harassment, stalking, or voyeurism. The FAA does not enforce privacy law and does not dispatch officers.

Where the problem is how the drone is flown (near an airport, over people, above the 400-foot limit, or by an operator who never registered), that is an FAA matter. The FAA takes reports of unsafe or unauthorized drone operations through its UAS sightings channel and uses them for airspace enforcement rather than an immediate response.

Finding out who is flying it is the harder part, and the honest answer is that you usually cannot do it yourself. Most drones that must be registered are required to broadcast Remote ID, a signal carrying the drone's identity and location plus the location of its control station. A receiver app can show you that a drone is nearby and where it is, but linking that broadcast to a named person runs through the FAA and law enforcement, who can match a registration to an owner. The FAA registry is not a public directory you can search, so if you need the operator named, the route is a police report, not a self-service tool.

The reporting steps

Each step is a route to the right authority, dated and attributed. Document the flight first, then report it to local police for anything on the ground and to the FAA for an airspace-safety problem.

How to report a drone, step by step

First, document what you see.
Before you call anyone, write down the date, the time, how long the drone stayed, its altitude and direction, a physical description, and anything you saw it do. Photos or video from your own property help. A clear record is what lets law enforcement act, because the drone itself is usually gone by the time anyone arrives.
Step
Jan 1, 2024
General guidance
FAA2024-01-01
Call your local police for anything on the ground.
The FAA directs the public to contact local law enforcement first for a drone that is flying dangerously, harassing people, or invading privacy. Local police handle the on-scene response and any state-law matter such as harassment, stalking, or voyeurism. The FAA does not send officers to a scene, and it does not enforce privacy law.
Step
Jan 1, 2024
Local law enforcement (FAA guidance)
FAA2024-01-01
Report an airspace-safety or unauthorized operation to the FAA.
Where a drone is flown unsafely or without required authorization (near an airport, over people, above the altitude limit, or by an unregistered operator), that is an FAA matter. The FAA takes reports of unsafe or unauthorized drone operations through its UAS sightings channel, which the agency uses for airspace enforcement rather than an on-scene response.
FAA guidance
Jan 1, 2024
FAA (airspace safety)
FAA2024-01-01 FAA2024-01-01
There is no public way to look up who owns a drone.
The FAA registry is not a public name-and-address directory you can search from a tail number or a Remote ID broadcast. A private citizen generally cannot pull an operator's identity on their own; that identification happens through law enforcement using Remote ID and the registration record. If you need the operator named, the honest route is a police report, not a self-service lookup.
No public lookup
Jan 1, 2024
No public tool on record
FAA2023-09-16
Remote ID is how a drone is identified, but not by you.
Most drones that must be registered are required to broadcast Remote ID: a signal carrying the drone's identity, its location, and the location of its control station. Anyone with a compatible receiver app can see that a drone is nearby and where it is, but linking that broadcast to a named operator runs through the FAA and law enforcement, who can match a registration to a person.
Federal rule (FAA)
Sep 16, 2023
FAA (Remote ID rule)
FAA2023-09-16 FAA2024-01-01

The steps in order

A dated view of each step and the authority it routes through.

Jan 1, 2024First, document what you see.Step
Before you call anyone, write down the date, the time, how long the drone stayed, its altitude and direction, a physical description, and anything you saw it do. Photos or video from your own property help. A clear record is what lets law enforcement act, because the drone itself is usually gone by the time anyone arrives.
General guidanceFAA2024-01-01
Jan 1, 2024Call your local police for anything on the ground.Step
The FAA directs the public to contact local law enforcement first for a drone that is flying dangerously, harassing people, or invading privacy. Local police handle the on-scene response and any state-law matter such as harassment, stalking, or voyeurism. The FAA does not send officers to a scene, and it does not enforce privacy law.
Local law enforcement (FAA guidance)FAA2024-01-01
Jan 1, 2024Report an airspace-safety or unauthorized operation to the FAA.FAA guidance
Where a drone is flown unsafely or without required authorization (near an airport, over people, above the altitude limit, or by an unregistered operator), that is an FAA matter. The FAA takes reports of unsafe or unauthorized drone operations through its UAS sightings channel, which the agency uses for airspace enforcement rather than an on-scene response.
FAA (airspace safety)FAA2024-01-01 FAA2024-01-01
Jan 1, 2024There is no public way to look up who owns a drone.No public lookup
The FAA registry is not a public name-and-address directory you can search from a tail number or a Remote ID broadcast. A private citizen generally cannot pull an operator's identity on their own; that identification happens through law enforcement using Remote ID and the registration record. If you need the operator named, the honest route is a police report, not a self-service lookup.
No public tool on recordFAA2023-09-16
Sep 16, 2023Remote ID is how a drone is identified, but not by you.Federal rule (FAA)
Most drones that must be registered are required to broadcast Remote ID: a signal carrying the drone's identity, its location, and the location of its control station. Anyone with a compatible receiver app can see that a drone is nearby and where it is, but linking that broadcast to a named operator runs through the FAA and law enforcement, who can match a registration to a person.
FAA (Remote ID rule)FAA2023-09-16 FAA2024-01-01

How we know this

Every step on this page comes from the FAA's own guidance for the public: where to report a drone, how the agency handles unsafe or unauthorized operations, and how Remote ID identifies a drone in flight. Here are the sources behind each step.

FAA2024-01-01 FAA2024-01-01 FAA2023-09-16 FAA2024-01-01

Each step is attributed to the FAA. DEPLOY does not enforce these rules and does not give legal advice; for a specific situation, contact your local law enforcement.

Common questions

Who do I call about a drone over my house?

Call your local police first. The FAA directs the public to contact local law enforcement for a drone that is flying dangerously, harassing people, or invading privacy, because officers handle the on-scene response and any state-law matter. Report an unsafe or unauthorized flight (near an airport, over people, or by an unregistered operator) to the FAA through its UAS sightings channel. The FAA handles airspace safety, not privacy.

How do I find out who is flying a drone over my property?

Usually you cannot do it yourself. Most drones that must be registered broadcast Remote ID, which carries the drone's identity and location and the location of its control station, and a receiver app can show you a nearby drone. But matching that broadcast to a named operator runs through the FAA and law enforcement using the registration record. The FAA registry is not a public directory, so the route to a name is a police report, not a self-service lookup.

Can I use a Remote ID app to identify a drone pilot?

A Remote ID receiver app can show you that a drone is broadcasting nearby, its location, and the location of its control station, which can point you toward where the operator is standing. It does not give you the operator's name or address. That identification is done by law enforcement and the FAA, who can tie a Remote ID or registration number to a person. The public-facing broadcast is location and identity data, not a name.

What information should I collect before reporting a drone?

Write down the date and time, how long the drone stayed and how often it returns, its altitude and direction of travel, a physical description (size, color, number of rotors, lights), and anything you saw it do. Photos or video taken from your own property help. A specific, dated record is what lets police or the FAA act, since the drone itself is usually gone by the time anyone can respond.

Does the FAA respond to a drone over my house?

Not in person. The FAA regulates airspace safety and takes reports of unsafe or unauthorized drone operations through its UAS sightings channel for enforcement, but it does not dispatch officers to a scene and does not enforce privacy law. For an on-scene response, harassment, or a privacy matter, local law enforcement is the right first call.

Can I shoot down or jam a drone that keeps coming back?

No. Shooting down a drone is a federal crime because the FAA treats drones as aircraft, and jamming or interfering with a drone signal is separately illegal under federal law. The lawful path is to document the flights and report them to local police and, for airspace-safety issues, to the FAA. Taking the drone down yourself turns you into the one facing charges.

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