Drone law

Is it illegal to fly a drone over someone's house?

Legal if FAA rules are followed

Not automatically. Federal law lets a drone pass over a home if FAA rules are followed, but how it is flown can break state privacy or nuisance law. Flying a drone over someone's house, or through a residential neighborhood, is not automatically illegal under federal law. The FAA controls the navigable airspace, and the Supreme Court held in United States v. Causby (1946) that a homeowner does not own the airspace a drone flies through. So overflight is generally permitted when the operator follows FAA rules: under 400 feet, within visual line of sight, and clear of restricted airspace. What can still be illegal is how the drone is used. Hovering over a yard, recording into windows, or harassing a resident can violate state and local privacy, voyeurism, harassment, nuisance, or trespass law, which varies by state. There is no single federal rule banning residential overflight, so the honest answer is that the flight is a federal-airspace question and the conduct is a state-law question. This is not legal advice.

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There is no federal rule that automatically makes it illegal to fly a drone over someone's house or through a residential area. The FAA controls the navigable airspace of the United States, and a property owner does not own the airspace above their roof. In United States v. Causby the Supreme Court held that a landowner owns only as much of the space above the ground as they can occupy or use, and that the air above the minimum safe altitude of flight is a public highway.

Because of that, residential overflight is generally lawful when the operator follows FAA rules: the drone must stay under 400 feet above ground level, remain within the operator's visual line of sight, and avoid restricted or controlled airspace without authorization. A flight that breaks those rules is an FAA violation no matter whose house it passes over.

What federal airspace law does not settle is how the drone is used near a home. Hovering over a private yard, pointing a camera into windows, or repeatedly buzzing a residence can trigger state and local privacy, voyeurism, harassment, nuisance, stalking, or trespass laws. Those remedies come from state and local law, not the FAA, and they differ substantially from one state to the next. DEPLOY does not track a single national rule here because there is not one.

This page is a plain reading of the public record, not legal advice. If a drone over your home worries you, document it and consult local law enforcement or a lawyer in your state.

The authorities, one by one

Each entry is a real legal authority bearing on flying a drone over a home, dated and attributed. The federal airspace rules govern the flight; state and local law governs how the drone is used.

What the law actually says about residential drone overflight

There is no single federal rule that bans flying a drone over a home.
Federal law does not make it automatically illegal to fly a drone over private property. The FAA regulates how the aircraft is flown (altitude, line of sight, airspace), not whether it may pass over a given house. Whether a specific flight is unlawful turns on state and local privacy, harassment, nuisance, and trespass law, which the FAA leaves to other authorities and which varies by state.
No federal ban
Jan 1, 2026
No federal statute on record
FAA2024-01-01
How a drone is flown can still violate state privacy, harassment, nuisance, or trespass law.
Following FAA rules in the air does not immunize the operator on the ground. Hovering over a backyard, recording into windows, or repeatedly buzzing a home can trigger state and local privacy, voyeurism, harassment, nuisance, or stalking laws. These remedies come from state and local law, not the FAA, and they differ substantially from state to state. DEPLOY does not track a single national rule here because there is not one.
State law
Jan 1, 2026
State and local law (varies by state)
FAA2024-01-01
The FAA controls the navigable airspace, including the air above private property.
The FAA has authority over the navigable airspace of the United States. A drone may lawfully pass over private property when the operator follows FAA rules, and a property owner cannot ban that overflight on their own. Privacy and nuisance concerns are handled by state and local authorities, not by the FAA.
FAA authority
Jan 1, 2024
Federal Aviation Administration
FAA2024-01-01 FAA2024-01-01
The flight itself is governed by FAA rules: 400 feet, line of sight, no restricted airspace.
Under 14 CFR Part 107 the small unmanned aircraft cannot be flown higher than 400 feet above ground level (with a limited structure exception), must stay within the operator's visual line of sight, and may not enter restricted or controlled airspace without authorization. Recreational flyers follow the same 400-foot ceiling. A residential flight that breaks these rules is an FAA violation regardless of whose house it is over.
Federal rule
Aug 29, 2016
FAA, 14 CFR 107.51 and recreational rules
Cornell Law (14 CFR)2016-08-29 FAA2024-01-01
A homeowner does not own the navigable airspace above the house.
In United States v. Causby (1946), the Supreme Court held that a landowner owns at least as much of the space above the ground as they can occupy or use in connection with the land, but that the air above the minimum safe altitude of flight is a public highway. A property owner controls only the immediate reaches of the airspace, not the navigable airspace a drone flies through.
Supreme Court
May 27, 1946
U.S. Supreme Court, United States v. Causby (1946)
Cornell Law (Supreme Court)1946-05-27

How the law lines up

A dated view of each authority, newest first, from the current FAA guidance back to the 1946 Supreme Court case that set the airspace rule.

Jan 1, 2026There is no single federal rule that bans flying a drone over a home.No federal ban
Federal law does not make it automatically illegal to fly a drone over private property. The FAA regulates how the aircraft is flown (altitude, line of sight, airspace), not whether it may pass over a given house. Whether a specific flight is unlawful turns on state and local privacy, harassment, nuisance, and trespass law, which the FAA leaves to other authorities and which varies by state.
No federal statute on recordFAA2024-01-01
Jan 1, 2026How a drone is flown can still violate state privacy, harassment, nuisance, or trespass law.State law
Following FAA rules in the air does not immunize the operator on the ground. Hovering over a backyard, recording into windows, or repeatedly buzzing a home can trigger state and local privacy, voyeurism, harassment, nuisance, or stalking laws. These remedies come from state and local law, not the FAA, and they differ substantially from state to state. DEPLOY does not track a single national rule here because there is not one.
State and local law (varies by state)FAA2024-01-01
Jan 1, 2024The FAA controls the navigable airspace, including the air above private property.FAA authority
The FAA has authority over the navigable airspace of the United States. A drone may lawfully pass over private property when the operator follows FAA rules, and a property owner cannot ban that overflight on their own. Privacy and nuisance concerns are handled by state and local authorities, not by the FAA.
Federal Aviation AdministrationFAA2024-01-01 FAA2024-01-01
Aug 29, 2016The flight itself is governed by FAA rules: 400 feet, line of sight, no restricted airspace.Federal rule
Under 14 CFR Part 107 the small unmanned aircraft cannot be flown higher than 400 feet above ground level (with a limited structure exception), must stay within the operator's visual line of sight, and may not enter restricted or controlled airspace without authorization. Recreational flyers follow the same 400-foot ceiling. A residential flight that breaks these rules is an FAA violation regardless of whose house it is over.
FAA, 14 CFR 107.51 and recreational rulesCornell Law (14 CFR)2016-08-29 FAA2024-01-01
May 27, 1946A homeowner does not own the navigable airspace above the house.Supreme Court
In United States v. Causby (1946), the Supreme Court held that a landowner owns at least as much of the space above the ground as they can occupy or use in connection with the land, but that the air above the minimum safe altitude of flight is a public highway. A property owner controls only the immediate reaches of the airspace, not the navigable airspace a drone flies through.
U.S. Supreme Court, United States v. Causby (1946)Cornell Law (Supreme Court)1946-05-27

How we know this

Every legal statement on this page is attributed to its source: the FAA's own guidance on the navigable airspace, the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Causby, and the operating rules in 14 CFR Part 107. Here are the sources behind each point.

FAA2024-01-01 FAA2024-01-01 Cornell Law (14 CFR)2016-08-29 FAA2024-01-01 Cornell Law (Supreme Court)1946-05-27

These are the federal authorities that govern the airspace. Whether a specific flight breaks a privacy, harassment, or nuisance law is a state-law question that varies by state, and this page is a plain reading of the record, not legal advice.

Common questions

Can you legally fly a drone over private property?

Generally yes, if you follow FAA rules. The FAA controls the navigable airspace, so a drone may pass over private property when it stays under 400 feet, within the operator's visual line of sight, and out of restricted airspace. The property owner does not own that airspace. What can be illegal is the conduct: recording into a home or harassing a resident can violate state privacy or nuisance law, which varies by state.

Is it illegal to fly a drone over a neighbor's house?

Passing over a neighbor's house is not automatically illegal under federal law, because the FAA, not the neighbor, controls the airspace. It can become unlawful under state and local law if you hover to watch them, record into their windows, or harass them. Those laws differ by state. Following FAA flight rules does not exempt you from state privacy, voyeurism, or nuisance statutes.

Can you fly a drone in a residential area?

Yes, residential neighborhoods are generally open to drone flight if the airspace is not restricted and you follow FAA rules: under 400 feet, within visual line of sight, and registered with Remote ID if required. Some neighborhoods sit under controlled airspace near an airport, where you need FAA authorization first. Local privacy and nuisance rules still apply to how you use the drone.

Does a homeowner own the airspace above their house?

No. In United States v. Causby (1946) the Supreme Court held that a landowner owns only as much of the space above the ground as they can occupy or use in connection with the land. The air above the minimum safe altitude of flight is a public highway that the FAA controls. A homeowner controls only the immediate reaches of the airspace, not the navigable airspace a drone flies through.

What can I do if a drone keeps flying over my house?

You can document it, note the time and any operator you can see, and report unsafe or harassing operation to local law enforcement and to the FAA. You cannot legally shoot it down, net it, or jam it: destroying an aircraft is a federal crime under 18 U.S. Code Section 32. If the drone is recording or harassing you, a lawyer in your state can advise on privacy, nuisance, or harassment remedies, which vary by state.

Is flying a drone over someone's house an invasion of privacy?

It can be, but that is a state-law question, not a federal one. Many states have privacy, voyeurism, or surveillance laws that can apply when a drone records into a home or a fenced yard, and some states have passed drone-specific privacy statutes. There is no single federal privacy rule for drones over homes. Whether a given flight is an invasion of privacy depends on your state's law and the specific facts.

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