Drone law
Is it illegal to shoot down a drone?
Yes. It is a federal crime, because the FAA treats a drone as an aircraft under 18 U.S. Code 32. Shooting down a drone is a federal crime. The FAA classifies a drone as an aircraft in the national airspace, so damaging or destroying one can fall under 18 U.S. Code 32 (destruction of aircraft), which carries up to 20 years in prison, on top of any state or local firearm charge. Aiming a laser at a drone is a separate federal crime under 18 U.S. Code 39A, up to 5 years, and a laser does not reliably bring a drone down anyway. Jamming or otherwise interfering with a drone is also illegal. The lawful response is to report it, not to take it down. This is not legal advice.
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Yes, shooting down a drone is illegal, and it is a federal crime rather than a property dispute. The reason is a single classification: the FAA treats a drone as an aircraft in the national airspace. That means the rules protecting crewed aircraft reach it too.
18 U.S. Code § 32 makes it a crime to willfully damage, destroy, or disable an aircraft, punishable by a fine or up to 20 years in prison. Because a drone is an aircraft under federal law, shooting one down can fall under this statute, and there is no exception for a drone flying over your own yard. On top of that, discharging a firearm in a residential area is prohibited under most state and local laws regardless of the target, so a single shot can trigger two separate offenses.
A laser pointer is not a loophole. 18 U.S. Code § 39A makes it a crime to knowingly aim the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, punishable by up to 5 years. A laser also cannot reliably force a drone down: it does not cut power or trigger a landing, and the beam can travel past the drone to a crewed aircraft behind it. So lasing a drone is a felony risk with no dependable effect.
Drones are also simply hard to hit. A small consumer drone is a fast, agile, low-profile target, and a fired round keeps traveling and comes down somewhere, while debris from a struck drone is its own hazard. Jamming a drone's radio or GPS signal is separately illegal under federal law, and physically capturing one in flight can still run into the aircraft-interference statute. The consistent federal guidance is the opposite of taking matters into your own hands: document the flights and report them to local police, and report airspace-safety problems to the FAA.
Why it is a crime, point by point
Each entry is a legal or safety fact, dated and attributed to the statute or the FAA. The through-line is that the FAA treats a drone as an aircraft, so the rules that protect crewed aircraft reach it too.
- The FAA treats a drone as an aircraft, so shooting one is not a property matter.
The FAA classifies a drone as an aircraft in the national airspace. That is the fact everything else turns on: a drone is not treated like a trespassing object you may destroy, and firing at it endangers people and property on the ground. The FAA's guidance is to report an unwanted drone rather than take it down.
- Drones are hard to hit, and firing into the air is dangerous and often illegal.
A small consumer drone is a fast, agile, low-profile target that is difficult to hit with a firearm. Worse, a fired round does not stop at the drone: it keeps traveling and comes down somewhere, and falling debris from a struck drone is itself a hazard. Discharging a firearm in a residential area is prohibited under most state and local laws regardless of the target, which is a separate offense from the federal aircraft statute.
- Jamming, netting, or otherwise interfering with a drone is also illegal.
Shooting is not the only banned method. Jamming a drone's radio or GPS signal is separately illegal under federal law, and physically capturing or disabling one in flight can still run into the aircraft-interference statute. Federal guidance is consistent: the lawful response to an unwanted drone is to document it and report it to local police and, for airspace-safety issues, to the FAA, not to take it down.
The statutes and guidance, dated
A dated view of the federal laws and FAA guidance that make shooting, lasing, or jamming a drone illegal.
- Jan 1, 2024The FAA treats a drone as an aircraft, so shooting one is not a property matter.FAA guidance
The FAA classifies a drone as an aircraft in the national airspace. That is the fact everything else turns on: a drone is not treated like a trespassing object you may destroy, and firing at it endangers people and property on the ground. The FAA's guidance is to report an unwanted drone rather than take it down.
- Jan 1, 2024Drones are hard to hit, and firing into the air is dangerous and often illegal.Safety
A small consumer drone is a fast, agile, low-profile target that is difficult to hit with a firearm. Worse, a fired round does not stop at the drone: it keeps traveling and comes down somewhere, and falling debris from a struck drone is itself a hazard. Discharging a firearm in a residential area is prohibited under most state and local laws regardless of the target, which is a separate offense from the federal aircraft statute.
Safety and state or local lawFAA - Jan 1, 2024Jamming, netting, or otherwise interfering with a drone is also illegal.Federal law
Shooting is not the only banned method. Jamming a drone's radio or GPS signal is separately illegal under federal law, and physically capturing or disabling one in flight can still run into the aircraft-interference statute. Federal guidance is consistent: the lawful response to an unwanted drone is to document it and report it to local police and, for airspace-safety issues, to the FAA, not to take it down.
How we know this
Every fact on this page comes from the federal statute it names (18 U.S. Code 32 and 39A) or from the FAA's own guidance to the public. Here are the sources behind each point.
Each point is attributed to the statute or the FAA. DEPLOY does not give legal advice; for a specific situation, consult a lawyer and report an unwanted drone to local law enforcement.
Common questions
Can I shoot a drone flying over my property?
Can a laser pointer bring down a drone?
Why are drones so hard to shoot down?
Is it legal to jam a drone?
What should I do instead of shooting a drone down?
Has anyone been prosecuted for shooting down a drone?
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