OH HB251

Law enforcement must obtain a search warrant to use drones to enter or observe the interior of a house or place where an in-person search would require a warrant; surveillance data collected without a warrant is inadmissible in criminal proceedings

Warrantless drone surveillance is permitted in specific circumstances: within 50 miles of national borders, during exigent circumstances, for disaster response, traffic enforcement, crime scene photography, observing what's visible to the naked eye, and for research/training purposes

Law enforcement agencies are prohibited from using drones armed with lethal weapons and cannot authorize private drone surveillance without consent from either the person being surveilled or the property owner

Agencies must document and verify all flight data for surveillance missions and retain data relevant to ongoing investigations, trials, or litigation as public records

Updates Ohio Aeronautics Law to add definitions for seaplane bases, heliports, vertiports, and spaceports, and requires Department of Transportation approval before these facilities can be used commercially