Title 49TransportationRelease 119-73not60

§45106 Relationship to Other Laws, Regulations, Standards, and Orders

Title 49 › Subtitle SUBTITLE VII— AVIATION PROGRAMS › Part A— AIR COMMERCE AND SAFETY › Subpart iii— safety › Chapter 451— ALCOHOL AND CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES TESTING › § 45106

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

State and local governments must not make, issue, or keep laws, rules, or orders that conflict with FAA rules made under this chapter. A State criminal law that punishes reckless acts causing death, injury, or property damage still applies. FAA rules that affect foreign airlines must match U.S. international obligations and take foreign laws into account. The Secretaries of State and Transportation must jointly ask ICAO member countries to strengthen and enforce bans on crew using alcohol or controlled substances against law or U.S. rules. The FAA may keep, change, or add to any alcohol- or drug-related rule made before October 28, 1991, for pilots, crew, certain airport and carrier safety workers, and FAA safety employees.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §45106

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)A State or local government may not prescribe, issue, or continue in effect a law, regulation, standard, or order that is inconsistent with regulations prescribed under this chapter. However, a regulation prescribed under this chapter does not preempt a State criminal law that imposes sanctions for reckless conduct leading to loss of life, injury, or damage to property.
(b)(1)In prescribing regulations under this chapter, the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration—
(A)shall establish only requirements applicable to foreign air carriers that are consistent with international obligations of the United States; and
(B)shall consider applicable laws and regulations of foreign countries.
(2)The Secretaries of State and Transportation jointly shall request the governments of foreign countries that are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization to strengthen and enforce existing standards to prohibit crewmembers in international civil aviation from using alcohol or a controlled substance in violation of law or a United States Government regulation.
(c)This section does not prevent the Administrator from continuing in effect, amending, or further supplementing a regulation prescribed before October 28, 1991, governing the use of alcohol or a controlled substance by airmen, crewmembers, airport security screening employees, air carrier employees responsible for safety-sensitive functions (as decided by the Administrator), or employees of the Administration with responsibility for safety-sensitive functions.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 45106(a)49 App.:1434(e)(1).Aug. 23, 1958, Pub. L. 85–726, 72 Stat. 731, § 614(e); added Oct. 28, 1991, Pub. L. 102–143, § 3(a), 105 Stat. 956. 45106(b)49 App.:1434(e)(3). 45106(c)49 App.:1434(e)(2). In subsection (a), the word “prescribe” is substituted for “adopt” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code. The word “rule” is omitted as being synonymous with “regulation”. The word “ordinance” is omitted as being included in “law” and “regulation”. The words “actual” and “whether the provisions apply specifically to employees of an air carrier or foreign air carrier, or to the general public” are omitted as surplus. In subsection (c) the word “prevent” is substituted for “restrict the discretion of” to eliminate unnecessary words.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2001—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 107–71 substituted “screening employees” for “screening contract employees”.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 45106

Title 49Transportation

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60