VA warrantless drone ban
Virginia HB 2125 — Two-Year Moratorium and Permanent Warrantless-Drone Ban for Law Enforcement
Virginia · Va. Code § 19.2-60.1
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- April 3, 2013
- Applies to
- Virginia state and local law-enforcement and regulatory agencies
- Enforced by
- Virginia courts (suppression remedy)
Virginia was the first state to limit law-enforcement drone use, imposing a two-year moratorium in 2013 and then permanently barring police use of drones without a warrant or specific exception (search-and-rescue, training, surveillance of an Amber-alert subject). Evidence from unlawful drone surveillance is inadmissible.
Who is protected: Virginians subject to law-enforcement drone surveillance
Legal detail
Va. Code § 19.2-60.1 (Use of unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement and regulatory agencies); enacted via HB 2125 of 2013 and made permanent by HB 412 / SB 1301 of 2015.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Virginia |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | April 3, 2013 |
| Citation | Va. Code § 19.2-60.1 |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Inadmissibility of evidence; agency policy enforcement |
| Topics | consumer data privacy · police and surveillance AI |
| Bill text | Virginia LIS — HB 2125 (2013 Session) |
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Related consumer data privacy rules elsewhere
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