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House adopts statewide drone rules, preempting local ordinances and adding privacy safeguards
Summary
Third substitute SB 111 passed the House unanimously after sponsors described a package that preempts municipal drone laws, clarifies commercial exemptions under FAA rules, requires documentation of law enforcement drone use and imposes safety and privacy limits.
The Utah House approved third substitute SB 111 on March 1, adopting a comprehensive update to state unmanned aircraft laws.
Sponsor Rep. Christopherson described the bill as the result of a multi‑stakeholder working group that included the League of Cities and Towns, UDOT, industry representatives and the FAA. Key provisions stated on the floor: the law preempts municipal drone regulations to create statewide consistency for hobbyist and recreational uses; commercial and educational drone uses remain subject to FAA compliance and are exempted from these state restrictions; use of nongovernmental drone data by law enforcement is limited so that agencies may use such data in good faith for ongoing emergencies; documentation and data‑handling requirements are established; and penalties are graduated from warnings to infractions and, for repeat violations, class B misdemeanors.
The sponsor also noted provisions addressing trespass, voyeurism and privacy concerns and said the bill had endorsements from the Utah Farm Bureau, League of Cities and Towns, UTA and the Utah Aerospace Testing Center.
Voting on the floor concluded with the bill passing 72‑0; it will be returned to the Senate for further action.
