2025 Wisconsin Act 189 (Assembly Bill 530)
- Prohibits flying a drone over property owned by a public, private, tribal, or charter school, or property where a school is located, while the school is open for instruction or the property is being used for a school-board-approved event.
- Flights are allowed with permission from the school board or its designee, which must answer a request within 5 business days, and for listed police, fire, and EMS purposes such as search and rescue.
- A violation carries a civil forfeiture of up to $5,000, and officers must seize any images or video the drone recorded.
- Signed April 3, 2026. In effect from April 5, 2026.
Ref 2025 Wisconsin Act 189 (Assembly Bill 530)
2025 Wisconsin Act 194 (Assembly Bill 768)
- Prohibits flying a drone below 300 feet over, or within 500 feet of, a parcel containing a power plant or substation, natural gas facility, water reclamation or public water system facility, telecommunications or cable facility, or petroleum refinery or pump station. Transmission lines are not included.
- Exempt: flights directed by the facility's owner or operator, flights by the local government on official business, and commercial flights that comply with FAA regulations. Recreational flights are not exempt.
- A violation carries a civil forfeiture of up to $5,000, and officers must seize any images the drone recorded.
- Signed April 3, 2026. In effect from April 5, 2026.
Ref 2025 Wisconsin Act 194 (Assembly Bill 768)
Wisconsin State Parks Admin Code Ch. NR 45.041
- Prohibits drone use in all state parks, state recreation areas, state natural areas, the Kettle Moraine and Point Beach state forests, and the Lower Wisconsin state riverway except where posted for their use.
- Allows for drone use in a designated zone in the Richard Bong State Recreation Area. Approval is still needed for drone flight in the Special Use Zone.
Ref State Parks Admin Code Ch. NR 45.041
List of Wisconsin State Parks and State Recreation Areas
List of Wisconsin State Natural Areas by County
Wisconsin State Legislature 29.083
Prohibits the use of a drone to interfere or attempt to interfere with lawful hunting, fishing or trapping with the intent to prevent the taking of a wild animal, or other associated activities. Prohibited acts include the following:
- Harassing a wild animal.
- Impeding or obstructing a person engaged in lawful hunting, fishing or trapping, or any associated activities
- Disturbing the personal property of a person engaged in lawful hunting, fishing or trapping.
- Disturbing a lawfully placed hunting blind or stand.
- Disturbing lawfully placed bait or other material used to feed or attract a wild animal.
- Photographing or videotaping of a person engaged in such acts, or approaching, confronting, or maintaining proximity with the person with the intention to impede or obstruct the person from performing such activities.
Ref Wisconsin State Legislature 29.083 Interference with hunting, fishing, or trapping
Wisconsin Hunting Regulations
- It is illegal to hunt any animal with the aid of any aircraft, including unmanned aerial drones.
- It is illegal to use any unmanned aircraft or drone for the purposes of concentrating, driving, rallying, or stirring up any migratory game bird to put them in the range of hunters.
Ref Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Hunting Regulations
Assembly Bill 670 (2015)
Prohibits flying drones over correctional facilities.
Wisconsin State Legislature Chapter 942.10
Whoever uses a drone with the intent to photography, record, or otherwise observe another individual in a place where the individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. This section does not apply to law enforcement authorized to use a drone.
