RICHMOND — After a two-year moratorium on drone use by Virginia law enforcement, the General Assembly is set to send the governor a bill allowing drone use only with a warrant or the permission of a property owner.
There are exceptions for training exercises, if someone is in immediate danger, or in the cases of Amber Alerts, Senior Alerts or Blue Alerts. Blue Alerts are issued for suspects believed to be dangerous who have killed or seriously injured a police officer.
There are also exceptions for drone use in certain circumstances by the National Guard and at Wallops Island.
The bill bans state agencies from using weaponized drones, but it does not regulate private drone use.
