UAS Restricted Zones and Flight Paths Database

Current understanding

A proposed new Michigan act would establish a state-maintained database of restricted zones and flight paths for unmanned aircraft systems (drones), and create penalties for operating an unmanned vehicle in a listed restricted zone or along a restricted flight path. The bill is tie-barred to HB 5321 of 2025 and is at the introduced stage; scope, administering agency, and penalty structure are defined in the bill text.

Evidence log

• 2025-12-02 — Aeronautics: unmanned aircraft systems; destruction of drones flying in violation of critical infrastructure guidelines; allow. Amends 2016 PA 436 (MCL 259.301 - 259.331) by adding sec. 8a.: 2025-12-02 — HB 5325 would amend 2016 PA 436 (sec. 8a) to authorize destruction of drones violating critical infrastructure guidelines, adding a physical enforcement tool alongside the restricted-zones database and penalty framework. (novelty: 3)
• 2025-12-02 — Aeronautics: unmanned aircraft systems; adoption of an official no drone zone sign for use in this state; provide for. Amends 2016 PA 436 (MCL 259.301 - 259.331) by adding sec. 29.: A companion UAS bill would amend 2016 PA 436 to add sec. 29 adopting an official statewide “no drone zone” sign, providing visual/notice signage that could complement the restricted-zones database and flight-path framework. (novelty: 2)
• 2025-12-02 — Aeronautics: unmanned aircraft systems; installation of geofencing around critical infrastructure or buildings; allow. Amends 1984 PA 431 (MCL 18.1101 - 18.1594) by adding sec. 219a.: 2025-12-02 — HB 5323 authorizes installation of geofencing around critical infrastructure/buildings under 1984 PA 431, providing an active technical-restriction mechanism that could operate alongside the passive database-of-restricted-zones approach. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2025-12-02 — Criminal procedure: sentencing guidelines; sentencing guidelines for using an unmanned vehicles in a restricted zone or flight path; provide for. Amends sec. 12k, ch. XVII of 1927 PA 175 (MCL 777.12k). TIE BAR WITH: HB 5330’25: 2025-12-02 — HB 5322 (tie-barred to HB 5330) would amend MCL 777.12k to add sentencing guidelines for the offense of using an unmanned vehicle in a restricted zone or flight path, a companion sentencing-guidelines bill to the restricted-zones framework. (novelty: 2)
• 2025-12-02 — Aeronautics: unmanned aircraft systems; database of restricted zones and flight paths for unmanned vehicles; create and provide penalties for using unmanned vehicles in a restricted zone or flight path. Creates new act. TIE BAR WITH: HB 5321’25: cross-connection with uas-critical-infrastructure-trespass: Two contemporaneous UAS regulatory tracks: HB 5319 extends penal-code key-facility trespass to drones, while the new-act database bill defines restricted zones/flight paths and penalizes drone operation within them. (novelty: 3)

Open questions

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