Is It Legal to Shoot Down Drones Over Your Property in Maine?

Recently, there has been an unsettling, growing presence of drones in the skies throughout the United States.

This whole thing has sparked debates all over the nation about what the heck is actually going on.

And it has me riddled.

“At this point, we have not identified any basis for believing that there is — that these drones — that there's any criminal activity involved, that there's any national security threat, that there's any particular public safety threat, or that there's a malicious foreign actor involved in these drones.”

FBI officials are saying there are over 5,000 reports of drones flying around at night and because of this, we are becoming increasingly concerned about what is going on.

Many people are left wondering: Can I shoot down a drone if it’s flying over my property?

According to Maine Law, it is pretty clear and important to understand the legal factors before trying to shoot down a drone on your property.

Maine has laws governing drone use to make sure safety and privacy terms are followed.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) controls the airspace regulations, but states can add rules regarding the use of drones.

So in our state of Maine, it is 100 percent absolutely ILLEGAL to destroy or damage an aircraft and that includes drones.

Under the Maine Revised Statutes Title 17-A, it is a crime to "recklessly or intentionally interfere with an aircraft."

There was also an interesting article from News Center Maine about how you cannot shoot down drones saying in part, "It is a federal crime to shoot at a drone, meaning it is illegal nationwide. Shooting down a drone can also lead to state or local charges for violating other laws not specific to drones."

I understand that it can be frustrating when it feels like we’re not getting enough information, but as far as Maine law goes, if you take matters into your own hands and decide to shoot, damage, or knock down a drone over your property, you’ve been warned.