Attorney General Jeff Jackson Fights for Emergency Responder and Public Safety Protections in Federal Drone Rules

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 13, 2026
Contact: comms@ncdoj.gov
919-538-2809

RALEIGH — As the Federal Aviation Administration develops rules to create no-fly zones for drones, Attorney General Jeff Jackson is pushing to ensure that emergency responders and law enforcement can still respond quickly to emergencies and developing situations.

The FAA’s proposed rules would allow sites like prisons, large sports venues, and critical infrastructure to get a federal designation that would prevent people from flying drones over them. Attorney General Jackson supports the rule but is asking the FAA to build in protections so emergency responders can swiftly respond to crises.

“Places like prisons and stadiums should be no-fly zones for drones so law enforcement can keep people safe,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “But those restrictions can’t get in the way of first responders or undermine North Carolina law. We’re asking the FAA to take another look at its proposal and make some changes so North Carolinians are safer in all situations.”

Attorney General Jackson is urging the FAA to:

• Clarify that first responders with state and local governments can fly drones over any site in an emergency situation. First responders often use drones for disaster response, search and rescue missions, highly sensitive missions, law enforcement operations, and other critical operations. Requiring them to give notice to protected sites that they may be flying a drone over them could substantially delay or compromise these operations.

• Ensure that the rule would not override existing North Carolina laws that restrict drones over sensitive sites, including prisons.

• Create one place for all the no-fly zone locations to be listed so drone pilots have the latest, correct information and won’t fly their drone over a restricted site.

• Clarify that new regulations would not alter authorization state and local governments have previously received from the federal government allowing them to detect and stop adversarial drones over sensitive sites.

Attorney General Jackson is joined in sending the letter by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

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