Two new bills aim to tighten drone usage in Missouri

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A Missouri lawmaker is pushing for new regulations on drones in the Show Me State as recent sightings nationwide have sparked growing concerns over safety, privacy, and ownership.

Missouri State Rep. Dean Van Schoiack (R-Savannah) has introduced House Bills 209 and 210, which aim to tighten rules around drone operations in the state.

The bills address matters such as who can fly drones, how they can be used, and safeguards to protect public safety.

House Bill 209 would require state, county, and local law enforcement agencies to obtain a warrant to use drones for the purpose of gathering evidence or information "pertaining to criminal conduct."

This proposal would ban an individual, entity, or state agency from operating a drone "within the property line of private property without the consent of the property owner or occupant."

There are exceptions for both of those provisions that may permit government agencies or first responders to use drones in emergencies. Drone use could also be permissible for institutions that intend to use them for educational or research purposes, in addition to U.S. military branches, public and private utility companies, and railroad workers in specific applications.

Also of significance, this bill requires drone usage to comply with federal aviation regulations, a provision not previously mandated in Missouri.

Meanwhile, House Bill 210 would prohibit individuals from using drones in Missouri that are manufactured or believed "to be owned or controlled, in whole or in part, by a country of concern." Such countries were identified as, but not limited to, China, Russia, and Iran.

This proposal also aims to offer protections of "sensitive locations," identified as military locations, power stations, and locations of critical infrastructure. It mandates that the state provide flight mapping software to geofence such areas and restrict unathorized drone use.

Additionally, this bill calls for drones to be classified into three tiers based on their abilities to collect, transmit, or receive data.

Neither bill, as currently written, would explicitly make it legal to discharge a firearm to shoot down a drone, a concept recently suggested by a New Jersey state official earlier this month in response to concerns over mysterious drone activity.

House Bills 209 and 210 have been preemptively filed for the state’s 103rd General Assembly for the 2025 legislative session, which is set to begin January 8.