Flying a drone over a packed stadium or concert without permission could soon cost Birmingham residents $500. The Birmingham City Council's Public Safety Committee has recommended an ordinance that would let police issue citations to first-time violators of Alabama's new restrictions on unauthorized drone flights over ticketed entertainment events, rather than automatically arresting them.
Committee Sends Proposal to Full Council
The committee voted to recommend the ordinance and send it to the full Birmingham City Council for consideration, according to WBMA/ABC 33/40. City officials said the measure is meant to protect large crowds while giving officers a way to cite first-time offenders instead of making an arrest. The proposal has not yet received final approval from the full council.
The push follows Alabama Act 2026-306, which took effect Oct. 1 and prohibits certain unauthorized drone operations over ticketed entertainment events, the station reports. A separate report from Alabama Reflector described earlier proposed legislation, HB 429, as making it illegal to operate an unmanned aircraft system within or above 400 feet of a ticketed entertainment event without permission — though it's not established whether that bill is the same measure now in effect as Act 2026-306.
How the Fine and Citation Process Would Work
Under Birmingham's proposed ordinance, a first violation would carry a $500 fine, which officials described as the maximum allowed. A second or subsequent violation would require a court appearance and could carry additional penalties, including jail time, the station's report notes. Officers would be able to issue a citation allowing a first-time offender to simply pay the fine without appearing in court.
Before writing a citation, officers would have to work through several checks: whether the drone flight qualifies for one of the exceptions built into Alabama's state law, whether the flight was authorized by the event organizer, and whether the person operating the drone can be identified. Per the same account, officers would also check whether the operator holds an applicable Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 certification — though that certification does not necessarily exempt someone from restrictions that apply to a specific event.
Why Birmingham Wants This Before the Magic City Classic
Birmingham police want the ordinance in place before the upcoming Magic City Classic, giving the department another enforcement option as the city prepares to host large crowds at major events. The proposed measures aim to reduce risks from drones at concerts, sporting events and other covered ticketed gatherings — unmanned aircraft can carry objects, adding to the safety concerns officials are citing. The ordinance itself would not create the underlying state prohibition; it would instead establish a municipal fine and citation process for first-time violations of the existing state law.
Birmingham police are continuing to develop their drone-detection capabilities, but officials have not publicly detailed whether additional enforcement equipment will be deployed specifically for the Magic City Classic, according to the same WBMA report. Officials also have not disclosed the number of unauthorized drone incidents at previous major Birmingham events.
A Broader Push Into Police Drone Technology
The proposed fine arrives as Birmingham continues building out a separate, larger drone program within its police department. The city approved up to $1.5 million for a two-year trial with Skyfire AI that includes 16 drones, docking stations, accessories and services, according to ABC 33/40. That program remains in a pilot phase rather than a full expansion of the department's drone fleet, the outlet reported, and includes testing of autonomous drones that could respond to 911 calls before officers physically arrive on scene.
Birmingham officials have previously framed drones as a way to reach the scene of a crime before an officer can get there and provide an early assessment, as described in a report from al.com. For now, the separate push for an event-specific fine is narrower in scope, focused on deterring unauthorized flights over the kind of ticketed crowds the city expects to draw for the Magic City Classic and other major gatherings.
The Federal Aviation Administration maintains its own restrictions around stadiums, prohibiting drone flights in and around stadiums beginning one hour before and ending one hour after the scheduled time of covered sporting events, per the agency's guidance. Neither FAA drone registration nor a commercial pilot certification automatically authorizes flights over restricted events, and the agency advises operators to verify applicable federal rules, state restrictions and event-specific permissions before launching near any large gathering.
