49 U.S. Code § 44812 - Temporary flight restrictions for unmanned aircraft

(a) In General.—

(1) Temporary flight restrictions.—

The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall, upon the request by an eligible entity, temporarily restrict unmanned aircraft operations over eligible large public gatherings.

(2) Denial.—

Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Administrator may deny a request for a temporary flight restriction sought under paragraph (1) if—

(A) the temporary flight restriction would be inconsistent with aviation safety or security, would create a hazard to people or property on the ground, or would unnecessarily interfere with the efficient use of the airspace;

(B) the entity seeking the temporary flight restriction does not comply with the requirements in subsection (b);

(C) the eligibility requirements in subsections (c) and (d) have not been met;

(D) a flight restriction exists to the airspace overlying the same location as the temporary flight restriction sought under this section; or

(E) the Administrator determines appropriate for any other reason.

(b) Requirements.—

(1) Advance notice.—

Eligible entities may only request a temporary flight restriction under subsection (a) not less than 30 calendar days prior to the eligible large public gathering.

(2) Required information.—

Eligible entities seeking a temporary flight restriction under this section shall provide the Administrator with all relevant information, including the following:

(A) Geographic boundaries of the stadium or other venue hosting the eligible large public gathering, as applicable.

(B) The dates and anticipated starting and ending times for the large public gathering.

(C) Points of contact for the requesting eligible entity and the on-scene incident command responsible for securing the large public gathering.

(D) Any other information the Administrator considers necessary to establish the restriction.

(c) Eligible Large Public Gatherings.—

(1) In general.—

To be eligible for a temporary flight restriction under this section, large public gatherings hosted in a stadium or other venue shall—

(A) be hosted in a stadium or other venue that—

(i) has previously hosted events qualifying for the application of special security instructions in accordance with section 521 of the Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 (Public Law 108–199);[1] and

(ii) is not enclosed;

(B) have an estimated attendance of at least 30,000 people; and

(C) be advertised in the public domain.

(2) Additional gatherings.—

To be eligible for a temporary flight restriction under this section, large public gatherings hosted in a venue other than a stadium or other venue described in paragraph (1)(A) shall—

(A) have an estimated attendance of at least 100,000 people;

(B) be primarily outdoors;

(C) have a defined and static geographical boundary; and

(D) be advertised in the public domain.

(d) Eligible Entities.—

An entity eligible to request a temporary flight restriction under subsection (a) shall be a credentialed law enforcement organization of the Federal Government or a State, local, Tribal, or territorial government.

(e) Timeliness.—

The Administrator shall make every practicable effort to assess eligibility and establish temporary flight restrictions under subsection (a) in a timely fashion.

(f) Public Information.—

Any temporary flight restriction designated under this section shall be published by the Administrator in a publicly accessible manner at least 2 days prior to the start of the eligible large public gathering.

(g) Prohibition on Operations.—

No person may operate an unmanned aircraft within a temporary flight restriction established under this section unless—

(1) the Administrator authorizes the operation for operational or safety purposes;

(2) the operation is being conducted for safety, security, or compliance oversight purposes and is authorized by the Administrator; or

(3) the aircraft operation is conducted with the approval of the eligible entity.

(h) Savings Clause.—

Nothing in this section may be construed as prohibiting the Administrator from authorizing the operation of an aircraft, including an unmanned aircraft system, over, under, or within a specified distance from an eligible large public gathering for which a temporary flight restriction has been established under this section or cancelling a temporary flight restriction established under this section.

(i) Rule of Construction.—

Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the Administrator from using existing processes or procedures to meet the intent of this section.

(Added Pub. L. 118–63, title IX, § 935(a), May 16, 2024, 138 Stat. 1370.)

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[1]  See References in Text note below.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 521 of the Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 (Public Law 108–199), referred to in subsec. (c)(1)(A)(i), probably means section 521 of title V of div. F of Pub. L. 108–199, which is set out as a note under section 40103 of this title. The Act is comprised of div. F of Pub. L. 108–199.