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District of Columbia Drone Privacy & Surveillance (2026)

Info: DC has no drone-specific privacy statute; its general voyeurism law (22-3531) criminalizes surreptitiously capturing images of a person's private areas by any electronic device.

InfoVerified Jul 7, 2026

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Official source: code.dccouncil.gov →

General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.

Drone Privacy & Surveillance in states bordering District of Columbia

The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.

MarylandInfo
Maryland has no drone-specific privacy crime; Econ. Dev. 14-301 reserves all UAS regulation to the State and preempts local drone rules.
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: mgaleg.maryland.gov · Full Maryland rule →
VirginiaConditional
Virginia (Va. Code 18.2-121.3): flying a drone within 50 ft of a dwelling to coerce/intimidate/harass, or imaging an inmate, is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
Verified Jul 7, 2026 · Source: law.lis.virginia.gov · Full Virginia rule →

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