COLUMBUS — Gov. Mike DeWine has signed House Bill 251, a new law requiring Ohio law enforcement agencies to obtain a search warrant before using unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance. The law takes effect October 6.
The bill was sponsored by State Representative Bernie Willis and carried in the Senate by State Senator Terry Johnson of McDermott, who praised the signing. “With technology constantly evolving, the legislature must ensure that its use does not violate the Constitutional Rights of Ohioans,” Johnson said.
The measure requires agencies to get judicial approval before deploying drones to watch people, bringing aerial surveillance under the same warrant standards as other searches. Supporters say the law lets police use every available tool to protect the public while keeping residents’ privacy rights intact.
Johnson also added a Senate amendment barring all public entities in Ohio from acquiring or using drones assembled in or purchased from any country designated as a foreign adversary by the Ohio Secretary of State. That provision takes effect 48 months after the law’s effective date.
“We cannot and should not give our foreign adversaries any ability to survey Americans,” Johnson said. “By prohibiting the use of UAVs built by our foreign adversaries, we can be sure that the UAVs used by law enforcement do not include any spyware or malware created by our enemies.”
The foreign-adversary drone ban gives agencies four years to phase out affected equipment and replace it with drones from approved sources.
Privacy advocates have welcomed the warrant requirement as Ohio joins a growing number of states setting clear rules for police drone use. The law was enacted through the regular legislative process and signed after passing both chambers.