Have you seen videos and photos on YouTube and other places where they are showing some sort of flame thrower, or fireworks or other device attached to a drone? Well it’s important to know that Section 363 of the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act enacted Oct. 5, 2018 makes doing that a violation of the law with civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation. You’ll find the FAA page here. In addition, there may be state and federal criminal laws regarding weapons and hazardous materials may also apply to drone operators.
What’s defined as a dangerous weapon?
The FAA is defining a dangerous weapon as “any item that is used for, or is readily capable of, causing death or serious bodily injury.” You can see the full definition here.
Exceptions to the rule
The FAA can make exceptions for drone operators that submit the required documentation and information to the FAA for operations that use devices that might be considered a dangerous weapon in the areas of agriculture, movies and others.
