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SF 491

A bill for an act prohibiting the use of remotely piloted aircraft flying over farm property, and making penalties applicable.

2025-2026 Regular Session

SF 491: Prohibits RPAs from flying over a farmstead within 400 ft of farm animals, equipment, or structures; grants injunctive relief, data rules, and penalties for violations.

Signed by Governor.
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Bill Summary · SF 491

Summary — SF 491 (signed May 6, 2025)

Title: An Act prohibiting the use of remotely piloted aircraft flying over farm property, and making penalties applicable.
Status: Enacted (signed by Governor Kim Reynolds, May 6, 2025). Chapter 56.

Purpose / Intent

To expand and clarify Iowa’s prohibitions on operating remotely piloted aircraft (RPA, i.e., drones) over privately owned or leased farm property (a defined “farmstead”), to create a protected 400‑foot zone around certain farm assets, and to make related civil and criminal remedies and evidentiary/ownership rules explicit.

Key provisions

  • New and amended definitions added to Iowa Code §715E.1:
    • “Farmstead” — real property owned or leased by a farmer, used for farming (including production of farm commodities), and which generated at least $15,000 from sales of farm commodities produced on the property in the previous calendar year. Excludes property within a city’s corporate limits. Includes crop fields and pastureland.
    • New definitions for “farm animal,” “farm commodity,” “farm crop,” “farm equipment,” “farm structure,” and “farmer.”
    • “Surveillance device” definition expanded to cover imaging/data capable of identifying farm animals, farm equipment, or farm structures.
  • Protected zone: RPAs are prohibited from flying over a farmstead within a secured area defined as 400 feet surrounding a farm animal, farm equipment, or farm structure located on the farmstead — unless an exception applies.
  • Exceptions: Existing exceptions that apply to homesteads continue to apply (e.g., owner consent, compliance with FAA rules, government actions, and the owner/lessee themselves).
  • Injunctive relief (§715E.5): Owner or lessee of a homestead or secure farmstead may obtain a temporary injunction (up to two years, with possibility to renew) to prevent another person’s use of an RPA equipped with a surveillance device when harassment is shown by a preponderance of the evidence.
  • Recordings/ownership: A person cannot claim an ownership interest in retrievable images/sounds/data that identify another person’s farm animal, farm equipment, farm structure, or land without that person’s consent.
  • Penalties: Existing criminal penalty structure retained — intrusion by RPA over protected areas is a simple misdemeanor (upgraded for repeat offenses); surveillance by RPA with a surveillance device is a serious misdemeanor (with aggravated‑misdemeanor enhancement for repeat offenders). (Penalties: simple misdemeanor up to 30 days/$105–$855; serious misdemeanor up to 1 year/$430–$2,560; aggravated misdemeanor up to 2 years/$855–$8,540.)

Who is affected

  • Farmers and lessees of farmsteads (gain explicit statutory protections and civil remedies).
  • Drone/RPA operators (face criminal liability and civil injunctions if operating over qualifying farmsteads without exception or consent).
  • Courts and law enforcement (will hear injunction petitions and criminal cases under amended definitions).
  • Potential secondary impacts on researchers, agritourism, media, and others who operate RPAs near farms (they will need to observe the new statutory protections and exceptions).

Fiscal and procedural notes

  • Fiscal impact: Estimated to be minimal and indeterminate. No FY2024 convictions under the cited statutes; enforcement/correctional costs likely limited and spread across judicial, indigent defense, and corrections funds when applicable.
  • Legislative actions: Introduced Mar 4, 2025; committee amendments adopted; passed both chambers (House amendment S‑3086 adopted); signed by Governor May 6, 2025.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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