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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
drones; entertainment districts; prohibition
Purpose
Prohibits a person from operating a civil unmanned aircraft within 400 feet of or above a ticketed entertainment event, except as specified, and classifies a violation as a class 1 misdemeanor.
Background
A person may not
operate a civil unmanned aircraft or a model aircraft if the
operation: 1) is prohibited by a federal law or regulation that governs
aeronautics, including Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations; or 2)
interferes with a law enforcement, firefighter or emergency services operation.
A person may not operate or use an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system
to intentionally photograph or loiter over or near a critical facility in the
furtherance of any criminal offense. A city or town may not enact or adopt any
ordinance, policy or rule that relates to the ownership or operation of an unmanned
aircraft or unmanned aircraft system or otherwise engage in the regulation of
the ownership or operation of an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft system.
An unmanned
aircraft is an aircraft, including an aircraft commonly known as a drone,
that is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from
within or on the aircraft.
A civil unmanned aircraft is an unmanned aircraft or unmanned aircraft
system that is operated by a person for any purpose other than strictly for
hobby or recreational purposes, including commercial purposes, such as aerial
mapping or geospatial imaging, or in furtherance of or incidental to any
business or media service or agency (A.R.S.
§ 13-3729).
The FAA prohibits a person from flying drones in and around stadiums beginning one hour before and ending one hour after the scheduled time of any normal-season or post-season event for any of the following: 1) Major League Baseball; 2) the National Football League; 3) National Collegiate Athletic Association Division One Football games; and 4) racing events held by Indy Car, Champ Series and the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (FAA).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Prohibits a person from operating a civil unmanned aircraft if the operation is within 400 feet of or 400 feet above a ticketed entertainment event.
2. Classifies a violation of the prohibition as a class 1 misdemeanor.
3. Exempts, from the prohibition, a person who:
a) obtains consent from another person with legal authority over the ticketed entertainment event;
b) is an employee of the property where the ticketed entertainment event is held or a water, sewer, electric, telecommunications, cable or other public or regulated utility and is conducting official business; or
c) is operating the person's own civil unmanned aircraft above the person's own private property in a manner consistent with federal law.
4. Stipulates that a person who operates a civil unmanned aircraft above the person's own private property may not use the aircraft:
a) for commercial purposes;
b) to convey or communicate a message or to record for the purposes of commercial broadcasting or publication; or
c) to monitor or otherwise interfere in any way with the ticketed entertainment event.
5. Defines a ticketed entertainment event as a music, sporting or performing arts event that is held in a location with gated entries or barriers that prevent access to the general public and in which a revocable license that has been issued by an owner, operator or lessee of the property is required for attendance at the event.
6. Makes conforming changes.
7. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 22, 2026
KJA/SDR/hk