HB201 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Cynthia Lee AlmondAlabama Public Service Commission

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Crimes and offenses; unmanned aircraft systems; operation near public schools prohibited

Summary

HB201 adds public schools to Alabama’s unmanned aircraft restrictions, making it illegal to fly near a school, photograph or observe the school or people there without permission, and it establishes penalties.

What This Bill Does

It prohibits operating an unmanned aircraft within 500 horizontal feet or 400 vertical feet of a public school unless the school administrator consents. It forbids photographing or electronically recording a public school with a drone without the administrator’s consent. It also bars using a drone to observe another person when that person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. Violations carry criminal penalties (Class C misdemeanor for proximity violations; Class A misdemeanor for photographing/recording near a school or privacy violations) and may include mandatory jail time; the bill also allows confiscation and civil forfeiture of the drone and related items and updates definitions and regulatory authority, with an effective date of October 1, 2025.

Who It Affects

• Drone operators and others who use unmanned aircraft near public schools, who would face new proximity and recording restrictions and potential penalties without consent.
• Public school communities (students, staff, and visitors) who are protected from drones that photograph, record, or observe individuals in places where privacy is expected.

Key Provisions

• Adds new sections 13A-7-91.1, 13A-7-91.2, and 13A-7-91.3 prohibiting drone operation near public schools, banning photographing/recording near schools, and restricting observe-with-privacy violations, with consent required from the school administrator.
• Amends existing definitions and enforcement provisions to include public schools in the prohibitions, establishes penalties (Class C misdemeanor for proximity to a school; Class A misdemeanor for recording near a school or privacy violations), allows seizure and civil forfeiture of drones, and directs regulatory adoption by the Department of Corrections with an effective date of October 1, 2025.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Crimes & Offenses