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OhioHB 251136th General Assembly (2025-2026)House

Regards drone use by law enforcement; aviation facilities

Sponsored By: Bernard Willis (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Crimes, Corrections, and Law EnforcementLaw EnforcementTransportationAir and Rail Transport

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

6 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 2 mixed.

Police face weapon and surveillance limits

Law enforcement agencies cannot use, approve, or issue permits for drones armed with lethal weapons. Agencies also cannot approve one private person using a drone to watch another without express, informed consent. Consent must come from the person watched or the owner of the property where that person is present.

Police drone searches face warrant limits

Ohio police need a warrant to enter or view a place's interior by drone when an in-person search requires one. Evidence gathered without the required warrant cannot be used in criminal cases, subject to the law's exceptions. Warrantless uses include border patrol within 50 miles of a national border and emergencies threatening life, safety, or evidence. Exceptions also cover disaster safety and damage checks, emergency declarations, and listed accident, traffic, traffic-enforcement, and crime-scene work. Police can make nonintrusive observations of things visible to the naked eye from navigable airspace. They can gather public-area information with reasonable suspicion of crime and assess threats before specified large events. Listed research, education, training, testing, and development efforts also qualify.

Police must keep accessible drone records

Ohio law enforcement must record and check complete, accurate flight data for every drone surveillance flight it conducts or arranges. Agencies must keep relevant surveillance and flight data until no longer needed for an ongoing investigation, trial, or lawsuit. These retained records are public records, but existing public-records exemptions still apply. People charged with crimes involving drone evidence can seek surveillance information about themselves through court subpoenas and discovery. That court access excludes drone capabilities and details strictly about the operation's technical conduct and physical security.

Pilots must carry required federal licenses

Aircraft operators in Ohio must hold a current federal aviator's license when federal rules require one. They must carry it while operating and show it when a passenger, department official, or airport manager requests it. Violations carry a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both.

Public agencies face foreign drone limits

Restrictions begin 48 months after the act's effective-date section takes effect. Ohio public entities then cannot buy or otherwise acquire drone systems manufactured or assembled by listed foreign adversaries. For systems bought on or after that date, public entities cannot operate them or use state funds in connection with them. An exception applies when federal law or rules allow continued purchase and operation of the systems or their parts. The Secretary of State must publish a foreign-adversary registry online and update it at least every six months. Entries must appear on a specified federal list, including Commerce, terrorist-exclusion, or terrorism-support lists tied to executive orders 13873, 13224, and 13268.

Aviation sites need approval, protect access

Airports, seaplane bases, heliports, vertiports, spaceports, landing fields, and landing areas need Ohio Department of Transportation approval before commercial use. Applicants must file a complete facility plan. The department can reject applications, set conditions, or close facilities to commercial use; administrative decisions and orders can be appealed. Publicly funded facilities must remain equally open to the public for aviation use. The law also preserves nondiscriminatory use of aviation facilities regardless of their funding source.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Bernard Willis

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

  • Adam Holmes

    Republican • House

  • Johnathan Newman

    Republican • House

  • Kellie Deeter

    Republican • House

  • Mark Hiner

    Republican • House

  • Tex Fischer

    Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 232 • No: 10

Senate vote • 6/10/2026

Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety: Reported

Yes: 5 • No: 1

House vote • 6/10/2026

Concurred in Senate amendments

Yes: 89 • No: 5

Senate vote • 6/10/2026

Passed

Yes: 31 • No: 2

House vote • 11/12/2025

Passed

Yes: 94 • No: 2

House vote • 10/29/2025

Transportation: Reported

Yes: 13 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by Governor

    7/7/2026Governor

  2. Sent to Governor

    7/1/2026Governor

  3. Concurred in Senate amendments

    6/10/2026House

  4. Passed

    6/10/2026Senate

  5. Reported

    6/10/2026Senate

  6. Refer to Committee

    11/19/2025Senate

  7. Introduced

    11/18/2025Senate

  8. Passed

    11/12/2025House

  9. Reported

    10/29/2025House

  10. Refer to Committee

    5/7/2025House

  11. Introduced

    4/30/2025House

Bill Text

  • As Enrolled

    7/7/2026

    HTMLPDF

  • As Introduced

    HTMLPDF

  • As Passed by the House

    HTMLPDF

  • As Passed by the Senate

    HTMLPDF

  • As Reported by the House Transportation Committee

    HTMLPDF

  • As Reported by the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee

    HTMLPDF

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