An Act to Prohibit the Unauthorized Use of Drones on or over the
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 2157
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: PERKINS
Amends: 17-A MRSA §761

Legislative Document
No. 2157
H.P. 1446
House of Representatives, January 7, 2026
An Act to Prohibit the Unauthorized Use of Drones on or over the 
Premises of Correctional Facilities and Jails
Submitted by the Department of Corrections pursuant to Joint Rule 203.
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative PERKINS of Dover-Foxcroft.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  17-A MRSA §761 is enacted to read:
§761.  Unauthorized use of drone on or over premises of correctional facility or jail
1.  A person is guilty of unauthorized use of a drone on or over the premises of a 
correctional facility or jail if the person uses a drone to convey or attempt to convey prison 
contraband in violation of section 757.
2.  A person is guilty of unauthorized use of a drone on or over the premises of a 
correctional facility or jail if the person in fact flies a drone over the premises of a 
correctional facility or jail at or below a height of 400 feet above the ground, lands a drone 
on the premises or flies a drone from the premises. 
3.  This section does not apply to:
A.  A law enforcement officer, a corrections officer or a corrections supervisor engaged 
in the performance of the law enforcement officer's, corrections officer's or corrections 
supervisor's public duty; or
B.  Another person acting in the course and scope of employment, as approved by the 
chief administrative officer of the correctional facility or the jail administrator.
4.  It is not a defense to a prosecution under this section that the person holds a valid 
license to operate a drone issued by the United States Department of Transportation, 
Federal Aviation Administration or is otherwise permitted to operate a drone pursuant to 
regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration. 
5.  Unauthorized use of a drone on or over the premises of a correctional facility or jail 
is a Class C crime.
6.  As used in this section, the following terms have the following meanings.
A.  "Correctional facility" has the same meaning as in Title 34-A, section 1001, 
subsection 6.
B.  "Drone" means an aircraft or aircraft system operated without a physical human 
presence within or on the aircraft and includes, but is not limited to, an unmanned 
aircraft system, unmanned aerial vehicle, remotely piloted aircraft system or micro air 
vehicle. 
C.  "Jail" means a county or regional jail.
D.  "Micro air vehicle" means a drone that weighs less than one kilogram.
E.  "Premises" includes, but is not limited to, lands, ways and any buildings or 
structures on those lands or ways.
F.  "Remote pilot station" means equipment such as controls, displays or a cockpit 
located separately from a drone and used by an operator to fly a drone.
G.  "Remotely piloted aircraft system" means a system that includes a drone, a remote 
pilot station and equipment for communication between the remote pilot station and 
the drone.
H.  "Unmanned aerial vehicle" means a powered aircraft that flies without a human 
pilot on board that is controlled either remotely from the ground or autonomously 
through a preprogrammed flight plan.
I.  "Unmanned aircraft system" means a system that includes a drone, a remote control 
station and equipment for communication between the remote control station and the 
drone.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Class C crime of unauthorized use of a drone on or over the 
premises of a correctional facility or jail, with certain exceptions.