Portland, OR — Portland Police Bureau Small UAS (Drone) Program authorized by City Council (Ordinance 191882)
Portland, OR · Portland Police Bureau Small UAS (Drone) Program authorized by City Council (Ordinance 191882)
Portland City Council authorized the Police Bureau to operate drones on April 5, 2023, expanded them citywide in September 2024, and launched a Drone as First Responder pilot in September 2025, with policy explicitly barring mass surveillance and facial recognition.
Technical detail
Portland City Council authorized the Police Bureau to operate drones on April 5, 2023, expanded them citywide in September 2024, and launched a Drone as First Responder pilot in September 2025, with policy explicitly barring mass surveillance and facial recognition.
Who is protected: People subject to this body's AI/surveillance systems.
Who must comply: Portland, OR
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Portland, OR |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2023-04-05 |
| Citation | Portland Police Bureau Small UAS (Drone) Program authorized by City Council (Ordinance 191882) |
| Topics | police and surveillance AI · facial recognition · consumer data privacy · government use of AI · AI disclosure and transparency |
| Last verified | 2026-07-01 |
| Official source | Police Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program | Portland.gov ↗ |
More AI rules in Portland, OR
- Portland Public Schools genAI pause (Jun. 23, 2026) · In effect
- Portland OR Twin FR Bans (2020, broadest-in-nation) · In effect
- Portland Private-Sector FR Ban · In effect
- Portland City-Government FR Ban · In effect
- Portland OR GenAI Policy · In effect
- Ordinance banning use of face recognition technologies by Ci · In effect
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