# How do you report a drone over your property, and find out who is flying 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, 2024. 4 sources.

## Short answer

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

| Step | Kind | Date | Source | Who |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First, document what you see. | Step | Jan 1, 2024 | [FAA](https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/community_engagement) | General guidance |
| Call your local police for anything on the ground. | Step | Jan 1, 2024 | [FAA](https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/community_engagement) | Local law enforcement (FAA guidance) |
| Report an airspace-safety or unauthorized operation to the FAA. | FAA guidance | Jan 1, 2024 | [FAA](https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/public_records/uas_sightings_report) | FAA (airspace safety) |
| There is no public way to look up who owns a drone. | Honest gap | Jan 1, 2024 | [FAA](https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/remote_id) | No public tool on record |
| Remote ID is how a drone is identified, but not by you. | Federal rule (FAA) | Sep 16, 2023 | [FAA](https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/remote_id) | FAA (Remote ID rule) |

## The steps in order

- **Jan 1, 2024: 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. (General guidance)
- **Jan 1, 2024: 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. (Local law enforcement (FAA guidance))
- **Jan 1, 2024: 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 (airspace safety))
- **Jan 1, 2024: 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 tool on record)
- **Sep 16, 2023: 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. (FAA (Remote ID rule))

## How we know this

- [FAA](https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/community_engagement) (2024-01-01)
- [FAA](https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/public_records/uas_sightings_report) (2024-01-01)
- [FAA](https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/remote_id) (2023-09-16)
- [FAA](https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_flyers) (2024-01-01)

## 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.

## Keep reading

- [Which eVTOL company is closest to FAA certification?](/evtol-faa-certification-tracker.md): Drones & eVTOL
- [Is drone delivery legal?](/is-drone-delivery-legal.md): Drones & eVTOL
- [What's the best drone to buy right now?](/whats-the-best-drone-to-buy.md): Drones & eVTOL
- [What's the best drone for beginners?](/best-drone-for-beginners.md): Drones & eVTOL
- [All verified answers](/answers.md): Every standing question DEPLOY tracks.
- [Is it illegal to shoot down a drone?](/is-it-illegal-to-shoot-down-a-drone.md): Why taking it down yourself is a federal crime.

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