{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-500.130","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 500.130","heading":"Operation of unmanned aircraft system -- Definitions -- Restrictions.","body":"(1) As used in this section:\n(a) \"Communications service\" means a cable, broadband, streaming, or\ntelecommunications service; and\n(b) \"Surveillance\" means:\n1. With respec t to an owner, tenant, occupant, invitee, or licensee of\nprivately owned real property, the observation of such persons with\nsufficient visual clarity to be able to obtain information about their\nidentity, habits, conduct, movements, or location; or\n2. With respect to privately owned real property, the observation of such\nproperty's physical improvements with sufficient visual clarity to be able\nto determine unique identifying features or its occupancy by one (1) or\nmore persons.\n(2) Except for unmanned air craft systems operated by the United States Army, Navy,\nMarine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, or Coast Guard, or a reserve component\nthereof, or by the Army National Guard or Air National Guard, unmanned aircraft\nsystems may not be equipped with a lethal payload.\n(3) Except as provided in subsection (12) of this section, any business entity doing\nbusiness lawfully within this state may use an unmanned aircraft system for\nbusiness purposes, in compliance with 14 C.F.R. pt. 107. Business entities\noperating an unmanned aircraft system pursuant to this subsection may include but\nare not limited to:\n(a) A property appraiser, assessing property for ad valorem taxation with the\nexpress, prior, written permission of the owner, tenant, occupant, invitee, or\nlicensee of the privately owned real property;\n(b) A utility or communications service;\n(c) An entity conducting aerial mapping;\n(d) An entity conducting cargo;\n(e) An insurance company o r a person acting on behalf of an insurance company\nfor purposes of underwriting an insurance risk or investigating damage to\ninsured property; or\n(f) An entity conducting images necessary for the safe operation or navigation of\nan unmanned aircraft system  that is being used for a purpose allowed under\nfederal or Kentucky law.\n(4) Any recreational user may operate an unmanned aircraft system within this state, in\ncompliance with 14 C.F.R. pt. 101.\n(5) Any institution of higher education, or school district,  may use an unmanned\naircraft system for educational, research, or testing purposes.\n(6) No law enforcement agency, or agent thereof, shall use an unmanned aircraft\nsystem to conduct a search unless authorized under the Fourth Amendment to the\nUnited State s Constitution and Section 10 of the Kentucky Constitution.  If the\nsearch is conducted pursuant to a warrant, the warrant shall specifically authorize\nthe use of an unmanned aircraft system.\n(7) Except as limited by subsection (6) of this section, any gov ernment agency,\nincluding a law enforcement agency, may use an unmanned aircraft system for\nlegitimate governmental purposes.\n(8) When an unmanned aircraft system is used by law enforcement pursuant to\nsubsections (6) and (7) of this section, it shall be o perated in a lawful manner and\nshall minimize data collection on nonsuspects. Disclosure of such data shall be\nprohibited except by order of a court of competent jurisdiction.\n(9) No evidence obtained or collected as the result of the use of an unmanned ai rcraft\nsystem shall be admissible as evidence in any civil, criminal, or administrative\nproceeding within this state for the purpose of enforcing state or local law, except\nfor:\n(a) Evidence collected as permitted by subsections (3)\nto (7) of this section; or\n(b) Evidence which is offered against the owner or operator of an unmanned\naircraft system to show misconduct.\n(10) No law enforcement agency shall be required to operate unmanned aircraft systems.\n(11) Operation of an unmanned aircraft system in violati on of subsection (3) or (4) of\nthis section shall be a violation for the first offense and a Class B misdemeanor for\nthe second or subsequent offense.\n(12) A person operating an unmanned aircraft system pursuant to subsections (3) to (5)\nof this section sh all not use an unmanned aircraft system to record an image of\nprivately owned real property or of the owner, tenant, occupant, invitee, or licensee\nof such property with the intent to conduct surveillance on, or publish unauthorized\nimages of, the individu al or property captured in the image in violation of the\nperson's reasonable expectation of privacy. For purposes of this subsection, a\nperson is presumed to have a reasonable expectation of privacy on his or her\nprivately owned real property if he or she is not observable by persons located at\nground level in a place where they have a legal right to be, regardless of whether he\nor she is observable from the air with the use of an unmanned aircraft system.","path":["KRS Chapter 500"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=56115","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T21:00:00Z","sha256":"af808069f12c9603d42987ed555c5d6e2d0f6bba5f69e87735ec3194ea9bad6e","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-500.120","next":"us-ky/krs-501.010"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}