Fort Worth Drone Charges Lawyer

You can legally operate a drone in Fort Worth, TX, but certain restrictions protect public safety and individual privacy. A flight may lead to a criminal investigation if authorities suspect unlawful surveillance or operations in prohibited areas. Texas law addresses specific drone-related offenses, while federal aviation regulations establish additional rules for operating unmanned aircraft.

If you are accused of illegal drone use, the central question is whether your actions violated a specific law, and answering that requires examining what happened during the flight. A drone charge attorney in Fort Worth can evaluate the allegations and help protect your rights. At The Medlin Law Firm, our team can provide criminal defense representation to help you understand the charges and determine how to respond.

A drone flight can become a criminal matter when its use raises concerns about privacy or public safety. Authorities may investigate after receiving a complaint about suspicious activity, but a complaint alone does not establish that an offense occurred. What matters is whether the operator’s conduct falls within a specific criminal prohibition.

Situations that may lead to criminal allegations include:

These situations do not necessarily establish criminal liability. A flight that appears suspicious to an observer may still be lawful, and some operations are expressly permitted under Texas law. The specific statutes governing these activities determine when an investigation can support criminal charges.

Texas Government Code Chapter 423 establishes several criminal offenses involving unmanned aircraft. These provisions address how drones are used and impose restrictions on operations in certain locations.

Section 423.003 makes it a Class C misdemeanor to use a drone to capture an image of an individual or privately owned real property with the intent to conduct surveillance. The prosecution must establish that the image was captured for that purpose. The statute also recognizes lawful uses of drones under Section 423.002, which may affect whether an offense occurred.

Under Section 423.004, a person who captures an image through unlawful drone surveillance may face additional charges for possessing or using that image. Possession is a Class C misdemeanor, while disclosing, displaying, distributing, or otherwise using the image is a Class B misdemeanor. Each image involved can constitute a separate offense.

Section 423.0045 prohibits intentionally or knowingly operating a drone over a critical infrastructure facility at or below 400 feet above ground level. It also restricts allowing a drone to contact the facility or come close enough to interfere with its operations or cause a disturbance.

The restrictions apply to qualifying facilities, including power plants, petroleum refineries, and certain chemical manufacturing facilities, and the statute provides exceptions for certain authorized operations. A first offense is generally a Class B misdemeanor, while a subsequent conviction under this section may result in a Class A misdemeanor.

Section 423.0046 addresses drone flights over qualifying sports venues. It generally prohibits intentionally or knowingly operating an unmanned aircraft at or below 400 feet above these locations, subject to statutory exceptions. A violation is generally a Class B misdemeanor.