Wyoming's state-level drone laws focus on property rights and trespass rather than privacy or surveillance. The state does not have a drone-specific privacy statute. Instead, a trespass threshold, a resource data collection ban, and correctional facility restrictions form the core of Wyoming's approach.
| Restriction | Statute | Penalty |
|---|
| Drone trespass: flying at 200 ft or lower over private land without permission that substantially interferes with use | SF 34 (Title 10) | Misdemeanor: up to 6 months jail and/or $750 fine |
| Collecting resource data on private land without permission | W.S. 40-27-101 | Civil trespass |
| Photographing, surveilling, or broadcasting correctional facilities by drone | SF 32 | Misdemeanor: up to 1 year jail and/or $2,000 fine |
| Dropping contraband or weapons at correctional facilities via drone | SF 32 | Misdemeanor: up to 1 year jail and/or $2,000 fine |
| Landing a drone on another person's property without consent | SF 34 (Title 10) | Misdemeanor: up to 6 months jail and/or $750 fine |
The 200-foot trespass rule and the "substantially interferes" debate
SF 34 creates a crime of trespass by drone: operating at 200 feet or lower over private land or a residence without permission from the landowner, resident, or a court order. But the statute includes an important qualifier. The flight must "substantially interfere" with the owner's use and enjoyment of their land.
That word "substantially" has been debated across multiple legislative sessions. The Wyoming Stock Growers Association and Farm Bureau lobbied to remove it, arguing that any unauthorized low-altitude drone overflight should qualify as trespass regardless of interference. The qualifier remains in the statute, which means a brief overflight at 180 feet that nobody notices likely would not meet the threshold. A drone hovering at 100 feet over a ranch house for 20 minutes almost certainly would.
The penalty is a misdemeanor carrying up to 6 months in jail and/or a $750 fine. Landing a drone on someone's property without consent is separately addressed and carries the same penalty (with an exception for forced landings).
Warning: Wyoming's 200-foot threshold is higher than Vermont's 100-foot rule, meaning the trespass zone extends further from the ground. If you're flying recreationally over rural Wyoming, stay above 200 feet AGL when crossing private land unless you have the landowner's permission.
Resource data collection law
W.S. 40-27-101 prohibits entering private land to collect resource data without the landowner's permission. This statute was originally aimed at environmental activists monitoring ranching operations, but it applies to drone-collected data as well. If you use a drone to photograph, map, or collect environmental data over private ranchland or agricultural property without consent, you could face civil trespass claims. This is one of the few state laws that specifically targets drone data collection rather than physical overflight.
Law enforcement warrant requirement
Wyoming's HB 105 prohibits law enforcement from using drones to collect evidence or information about criminal activity without a warrant. Specific judicial authorization is required. This puts Wyoming alongside Vermont and a handful of other states with explicit warrant requirements for government drone surveillance.
Enforcement: Yellowstone osprey nest incident (2025)
In June 2025, a tourist flew a drone near an osprey nest at a turnout parking area in Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park. The osprey pair panicked and abandoned the nest when the drone approached. A California resident who witnessed the incident photographed it and confronted the drone operator. The pilot responded by landing the drone on the witness's vehicle, then flying it above his head in an apparent intimidation attempt. Park rangers cited the individual for violating the NPS drone ban. Penalties for this violation can reach up to 6 months in jail and a $5,000 fine.
This was not the first Yellowstone drone incident. In 2014, a Dutch tourist crashed a drone into Grand Prismatic Spring and was fined $3,200. In October 2025, DJI removed a promotional video for the Mavic 4 Pro after viewers identified illegal footage shot inside Yellowstone, including shots of Grand Prismatic.
For more on privacy law, see our drone spying laws guide and flying over private property guide.
