Legal Battle to Stop $500 Fines for Drone Flights On State, Public, Property

Ottawa County, Michigan may have a fight on its hands if a local law firm has their way. A new drone ordinance disallows drones being flown on or around county property, as well as from taking photographs or recording video of certain public property in the state.

The new law violates a higher Michigan state law that prohibits local and county governments from creating their own local restrictions on drone operations. The state is one of 17 that passed its own preemption law to create a more stable operating environment for the burgeoning UAV industry. In 2021, the Michigan Coalition of Drone Operators sued Ottawa County and won an injunction prohibiting the county from enforcing its unlawful ordinance. But the County is appealing the decision to the Michigan State Court of Appeals and once again place drone operators in jeopardy of fines and jail for their legal flights. If Ottawa County wins this appeal, drone users can be levied with a $500 fine, jailed for up to 90 days, and begin a criminal record for simple drone operation absolutely lawful in the majority of the nation. 

The donation fund will act as a war chest to continue the fight as the appeal moves through the courts. A win there would establish a statewide precedent halting local governments from creating a mix of needless regulation in flagrant violation of higher state law, protecting the rights of drone pilots in all of Michigan.

FMI: www.freefunder.com/campaign/mcdo-legal-fund