A new Florida law restricts police use of drones within the state 's borders . Florida Gov . Rick Scott signed the measure Thursday , saying it will protect the state 's residents from `` unwarranted surveillance . '' Before local or state law enforcement agencies can use surveillance drones , the Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act requires a judge to approve in nearly all cases . The legislation makes exceptions in cases involving `` imminent danger to life or serious damage to property '' and when `` credible intelligence '' from the federal Department of Homeland Security points to `` a high risk of a terrorist attack . '' The bill that state lawmakers passed unanimously earlier this year , Scott said , `` maintains a balance between the need for law enforcement to protect our citizens against credible threats and imminent danger while ensuring that the privacy of Florida families is protected . '' The measure was backed by both the American Civil Liberties Union and by conservative Republicans . In Florida , the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff 's Office each have two drones . Miami-Dade 's roughly backpack-size Honeywell T-Hawks have been used only in training exercises so far , Detective Roy Rutland said earlier this year . To some , the idea of an unmanned aircraft hovering over U.S. homes seems like a scenario out of a science fiction novel . But the use of drones has become controversial in recent years as unmanned aerial vehicles have become cheaper and more advanced . The concerns range from moral questions over their use in warfare overseas to worries about their impact on air traffic in the United States . Other states are also weighing measures to restrict domestic drone use , the ACLU said . Last month , drones both dazzled and worried senators at a hearing about their use within the United States . Lawmakers and experts said that new legislation may be needed to protect the privacy and safety of citizens . Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy , D-Vermont , held and studied a small plane weighing just 2 pounds before beginning the hearing . `` I am convinced that the domestic use of drones to conduct surveillance and collect other information will have a broad and significant impact on the everyday lives of millions of Americans , '' he said . The small aircraft can be fitted with lightweight cameras . And Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa , the ranking Republican on the panel , said the technology may require lawmakers to develop a new definition of an unreasonable search , which is banned under the Constitution 's Fourth Amendment . `` The thought of government drones buzzing overhead monitoring the activities of law-abiding citizens , '' he said , `` runs contrary to the notion of what it means to live in a free society . ''
Gov . Rick Scott says the measure protects residents from ` ` unwarranted surveillance '' Conservative Republicans and the Democrats are among the law 's backers . The measure requires a judge to sign off before state and local governments can use drones . There are exceptions for terrorism , ` ` imminent danger to life or serious damage to property ''