49 USC § 44812 - Temporary flight restrictions for unmanned aircraft

# § 44812. Temporary flight restrictions for unmanned aircraft

**(a)** **In General.—**

**(1)** **Temporary flight restrictions.—** The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall, upon the request by an eligible entity, temporarily restrict unmanned aircraft operations over eligible large public gatherings.

**(2)** **Denial.—** Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Administrator may deny a request for a temporary flight restriction sought under paragraph (1) if—

**(A)** the temporary flight restriction would be inconsistent with aviation safety or security, would create a hazard to people or property on the ground, or would unnecessarily interfere with the efficient use of the airspace;

**(B)** the entity seeking the temporary flight restriction does not comply with the requirements in subsection (b);

**(C)** the eligibility requirements in subsections (c) and (d) have not been met;

**(D)** a flight restriction exists to the airspace overlying the same location as the temporary flight restriction sought under this section; or

**(E)** the Administrator determines appropriate for any other reason.

**(b)** **Requirements.—**

**(1)** **Advance notice.—** Eligible entities may only request a temporary flight restriction under subsection (a) not less than 30 calendar days prior to the eligible large public gathering.

**(2)** **Required information.—** Eligible entities seeking a temporary flight restriction under this section shall provide the Administrator with all relevant information, including the following:

**(A)** Geographic boundaries of the stadium or other venue hosting the eligible large public gathering, as applicable.

**(B)** The dates and anticipated starting and ending times for the large public gathering.

**(C)** Points of contact for the requesting eligible entity and the on-scene incident command responsible for securing the large public gathering.

**(D)** Any other information the Administrator considers necessary to establish the restriction.

**(c)** **Eligible Large Public Gatherings.—**

**(1)** **In general.—** To be eligible for a temporary flight restriction under this section, large public gatherings hosted in a stadium or other venue shall—

**(A)** be hosted in a stadium or other venue that—

**1** has previously hosted events qualifying for the application of special security instructions in accordance with section 521 of the Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 (Public Law 108–199); [^1] and

See References in Text note below.

**(ii)** is not enclosed;

**(B)** have an estimated attendance of at least 30,000 people; and

**(C)** be advertised in the public domain.

**(2)** **Additional gatherings.—** To be eligible for a temporary flight restriction under this section, large public gatherings hosted in a venue other than a stadium or other venue described in paragraph (1)(A) shall—

**(A)** have an estimated attendance of at least 100,000 people;

**(B)** be primarily outdoors;

**(C)** have a defined and static geographical boundary; and

**(D)** be advertised in the public domain.

**(d)** **Eligible Entities.—** An entity eligible to request a temporary flight restriction under subsection (a) shall be a credentialed law enforcement organization of the Federal Government or a State, local, Tribal, or territorial government.

**(e)** **Timeliness.—** The Administrator shall make every practicable effort to assess eligibility and establish temporary flight restrictions under subsection (a) in a timely fashion.

**(f)** **Public Information.—** Any temporary flight restriction designated under this section shall be published by the Administrator in a publicly accessible manner at least 2 days prior to the start of the eligible large public gathering.

**(g)** **Prohibition on Operations.—** No person may operate an unmanned aircraft within a temporary flight restriction established under this section unless—

**(1)** the Administrator authorizes the operation for operational or safety purposes;

**(2)** the operation is being conducted for safety, security, or compliance oversight purposes and is authorized by the Administrator; or

**(3)** the aircraft operation is conducted with the approval of the eligible entity.

**(h)** **Savings Clause.—** Nothing in this section may be construed as prohibiting the Administrator from authorizing the operation of an aircraft, including an unmanned aircraft system, over, under, or within a specified distance from an eligible large public gathering for which a temporary flight restriction has been established under this section or cancelling a temporary flight restriction established under this section.

**(i)** **Rule of Construction.—** Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the Administrator from using existing processes or procedures to meet the intent of this section.

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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 118–63, title IX, § 935(a), May 16, 2024, 138 Stat. 1370.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 521 of the Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 (), referred to in subsec. (c)(1)(A)(i), probably means , which is set out as a note under . The Act is comprised of div. F of .