Flying a drone illegally in Madison could now land you with up to one thousand dollars in fines from the city alone following a city council vote on new regulations Tuesday night.
The new bill institutes fines for photographing or observing “another individual in a place or location where the individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy," flying a drone low enough over land or water so as “to intentionally interfere with the then existing use," endangering others or unauthorized drone landings.
The bill also grants the city leverage to fine anyone found weaponizing or in possession of weaponized drones.
The state of Wisconsin had similar laws governing drone usage in place already, but the City of Madison was unable to enforce them. This new set of regulations mirrors regulations already in place at the state level but transfers some regulatory authority to city officials.