Sharonville, Springdale, Woodlawn, and Evendale police will need a search warrant before using a drone to peer inside a home or building under a new Ohio law taking effect Tuesday, Oct. 6. The law also bans lethal weapons on police drones statewide.

House Bill 251 is Ohio's statewide framework for law enforcement drone use, as the Journal-News reported. Gov. Mike DeWine signed the bill in July after it passed both chambers with overwhelming bipartisan support. The law applies to every agency in the state.

State Rep. Bernie Willis, R-Springfield, who carried the bill through the legislature, said in a press release that the law "is the next logical step in ensuring public trust when our law enforcement and public safety agencies are using the technology provided through their tax dollars."

What the law requires

Officers must get a judge's approval before flying a drone to observe the interior of any location where a physical search would also require a warrant, according to GadgetReview. Evidence gathered without the required warrant is inadmissible in court.

Not every drone flight requires a warrant. Cleveland.com reported nine exceptions, including exigent circumstances, disaster response, traffic and accident investigations, crime-scene documentation and flights in navigable airspace that observe only what is visible to the naked eye.

That airspace exception drew criticism. Gary Daniels, legislative director of the ACLU of Ohio, told lawmakers the provision "is a blank check for law enforcement," according to DroneXL.

All drone flights and surveillance recordings become public records by default, though existing exemptions for active investigations still allow agencies to withhold specific footage.

What it means locally

Whether Sharonville, Springdale, or Woodlawn police currently operate drones is not confirmed in available public records. However, the Evendale Police Department has a drone program.

Trenton Police Chief Patrick Carr told the Dayton Daily News that HB 251 required his Butler County department to change none of its policies or procedures, saying all existing practices already complied with the new law.

A separate provision of HB 251 will prohibit Ohio public agencies from purchasing drones manufactured by designated foreign adversaries. That restriction takes effect Oct. 6, 2030.

Residents who want to review the full text of the law can find it on the Ohio Legislature's website.