The Federal Aviation Administration has launched a new program accelerating enforcement against drone violations, mandating legal action for operations that endanger the public, breach airspace restrictions, or aid other crimes. This shift, detailed in FAA Order 2150.3C Change 13 and Compliance and Enforcement Bulletin 2026-1 issued January 21, 2026, replaces prior compliance-first approaches with immediate punitive measures including fines up to $75,000 per violation and certificate suspensions or revocations.
The policy broadens enforcement to all uncrewed aerial systems operations, not just Part 107, and applies remedial and punitive actions simultaneously for lapses in care, judgment, or responsibility—even from a single incident. FAA Chief Counsel Liam McKenna emphasized decisive accountability to protect the National Airspace System from risks to aircraft, first responders, and crowds.
Recent actions underscore the program’s impact: between 2023 and 2025, the FAA issued 18 fines from $1,771 to $36,770, including $36,770 for a drone near wildfire response aircraft on April 4, 2023, and $20,371 for restricted airspace intrusion near Mar-a-Lago on January 13, 2025. License suspensions targeted incidents like a drone-paraglider entanglement on January 7, 2025, a drone light show over Lake Eola on December 21, 2024, and flights over an NFL game in Baltimore on November 3, 2024; one revocation followed a September 7, 2025, Mar-a-Lago breach.
This special emphasis program enables targeted national or local crackdowns, aligning with the 2025 Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty Executive Order. It heightens operational risks for drone operators in aviation, agriculture, and defense sectors, demanding strict adherence to restrictions, especially near events, emergencies, and secured zones, while urging public reports to local Flight Standards District Offices.