COLUMBUS — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 251 into law on June 10, 2026, establishing the state’s first comprehensive regulations for law enforcement use of drones. The law introduces new requirements and exceptions governing when police may deploy unmanned aircraft for surveillance and investigative purposes.

House Bill 251 requires police to obtain a search warrant before using a drone to enter or observe the interior of a home, business, or other location when a warrant would otherwise be required for an in-person search. Outside of such protected spaces, however, the law permits warrantless drone use in multiple scenarios. Officers may deploy drones without a warrant to respond to emergencies, investigate traffic crashes, document crime scenes, and conduct threat assessments before large public events. The bill also allows warrantless drone operations during environmental or weather-related disasters and for patrols within 50 miles of a national border.

Additional provisions permit drone use without a warrant when operating in navigable airspace in a physically nonintrusive manner to observe what is otherwise visible to the naked eye. Law enforcement may also collect information from a public area if there is reasonable suspicion of criminal activity there. The law explicitly prohibits law enforcement agencies from using drones armed with lethal weapons.

Under House Bill 251, drone surveillance and flight data are designated as public records unless they qualify for an exemption under Ohio’s existing public records law. The legislation also restricts public entities from purchasing or acquiring drone systems manufactured or assembled by a foreign adversary, giving agencies four years to comply with this procurement limitation.

The Ohio House and Senate passed the measure on June 10 with bipartisan support. The law takes effect 90 days from the date of DeWine’s signing. Prior to this legislation, Ohio law required warrants in some situations involving manned aircraft but did not specifically address unmanned aircraft, commonly known as drones.

“In many ways, it is a blank check for law enforcement and government to continue warrantless surveillance limited only by their financial resources,” said Gary Daniels, legislative director for the ACLU of Ohio.

House Bill 251 fills a legal gap in Ohio by regulating drone use for the first time, balancing law enforcement operational needs with privacy protections. The law’s warrant requirement for interior observations aligns with Fourth Amendment principles, while its numerous warrant exceptions reflect evolving policing practices. The public records provision enhances government transparency, and the foreign adversary procurement restriction responds to national security concerns about supply chain integrity in public technology.