The Overview

Under a new Arizona law, flying an unmanned aircraft within 100 feet of a non-residentially zoned area used to instruct kindergarten through 12th-grade students is illegal unless the operator has legal authority or consent, and a violation is a class 1 misdemeanor. Arizona's schools; prohibition; unmanned aircraft, SB 1627 became law when Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) signed it June 22. ​

Drone use near schools has drawn growing concern across the country as the aircraft have become cheaper and more widely available. The proposed Senate amendment to S.B. 1627 would amend Arizona's law on unlawful operation of model and unmanned aircraft.

What the Law Does

The law adds a new prohibition to Arizona's drone rules: it is unlawful to operate a drone within 100 feet of, or 100 feet above, any non-residentially zoned area used to instruct kindergarten through 12th-grade students. That covers school campuses, athletic fields, and other K–12 instructional property that sits outside a residential zone. An operator can fly in that zone only if they have legal authority over the area or get consent from someone who does.

The law also updates the definition of "model aircraft," replacing a reference to a federal aviation law with a new three-part definition: an unmanned aircraft capable of sustained flight, flown within the operator's visual line of sight, and used for hobby or recreational purposes. That change keeps Arizona's statute self-contained rather than dependent on federal definitions that could shift. The law amends Arizona Revised Statutes Section 13-3729 and does not appropriate funding or create a separate enforcement agency.

Legislative Status

Sen. J.D. Mesnard (R) sponsored the bill and was its sole lead sponsor. The Senate passed it 16–13 on March 4. The House passed it 34–20 on June 11. The Senate voted 28–1 to pass the measure on June 12. The Grand Canyon Times reported that the bill won approval in both chambers and restricts drone flights near K–12 school properties.

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