Virginia SB647 Expedites Search Warrants for Law Enforcement Drones
Summary
Virginia enacted SB647, expediting search warrant issuance for law enforcement use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drones) and permitting warrantless UAS deployment at crime scenes, public safety calls, and fugitive searches. The Department of Criminal Justice Services must establish a model policy for UAS use by December 1, 2026. The bill is subject to reenactment and took effect July 1, 2026.
What changed
Virginia SB647 creates a streamlined process for obtaining search warrants for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drones) upon a finding of reasonable and probable cause. The law also permits warrantless UAS deployment when law enforcement is surveying a crime scene, responding to a public safety call on public property, locating a fleeing person, or providing real-time aerial observation for on-scene safety.
Law enforcement agencies in Virginia must comply with these new procedures for UAS deployment and await the Department of Criminal Justice Services model policy due December 1, 2026. The reenactment clause means provisions may require future legislative confirmation to remain in effect.
What to do next
- Review current UAS policies and procedures for compliance with new warrant requirements
- Monitor DCJS model policy publication due December 2026
- Train personnel on warrantless UAS deployment scenarios permitted under SB647
Archived snapshot
Apr 8, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
ChangeBridge / Virginia / SB647 Signed by Governor SB647 Senate Bill Signed by Governor 2026-04-06
Unmanned aircraft systems; use by law-enforcement officers, search warrants.
Use of unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers; search warrants; model policy. Expedites the issuance of a search warrant for unmanned aircraft systems by law-enforcement officers upon a finding of reasonable and probable cause by an authorized judicial official, as defined in the bill, and permits the use of unmanned aircraft systems without a search warrant when law enforcement is surveying the scene of a crime or to respond to a public safety call for service when such crime scene or call for service is located on public property, to locate a person when such person has fled the offense location during the initial response to an incident, or to provide real-time aerial observation to increase on-scene safety and security. Such provisions are subject to a reenactment clause. The bill also requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services, in consultation with the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission and the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, to establish a model policy for the use of unmanned aircraft systems by December 1, 2026. This bill is identical to HB 1219.
Bill Details
State Virginia
Session 2026 Regular Regular Session
Chamber Senate
Official Source lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB647
LegiScan View on LegiScan
Sponsors
Todd Pillion (Sen - R) Christie New Craig (Sen - R) Bill DeSteph (Sen - R)
Action History
2026-04-06 Approved by Governor-Chapter 271 (effective 7/1/2026) 2026-04-06 Approved by Governor-Chapter 271 (effective 7/1/2026) 2026-03-18 S Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB647) 2026-03-14 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 2026-03-14 S Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 2026-03-12 S Signed by President 2026-03-12 H Signed by Speaker 2026-03-12 S Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB647ER) 2026-03-12 H Enrolled 2026-03-06 S House amendment agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-03-04 H Passed House with amendment (99-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-03-04 H Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House 2026-03-04 H Passed House with amendment (97-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-03-04 H Engrossed by House as amended 2026-03-04 H committee amendment agreed to 2026-03-04 H Read third time 2026-03-03 H Read second time 2026-03-02 H Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N) 2026-02-24 H Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice 2026-02-24 H Read first time 2026-02-24 H Placed on Calendar 2026-02-17 S Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-02-16 S Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB647) 2026-02-16 S Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) 2026-02-16 S Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) 2026-02-16 S Read second time 2026-02-13 S Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) 2026-02-13 S Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (36-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-02-13 S Rules suspended 2026-02-12 S Committee substitute printed 26106981D-S1 2026-02-11 S Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (13-Y 1-N 1-A) 2026-02-11 S Senate committee offered 2026-01-14 S Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice 2026-01-14 S Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103704D
Votes
2026-02-11 Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (13-Y 1-N 1-A) Yea: 13 Nay: 1 2026-02-13 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (36-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 36 Nay: 0 2026-02-17 Read third time and passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 40 Nay: 0 2026-03-02 Reported from Courts of Justice with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N) Yea: 22 Nay: 0 2026-03-04 Passed House with amendment (97-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 97 Nay: 0 2026-03-04 Passed House with amendment (99-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 99 Nay: 0 2026-03-06 House amendment agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 40 Nay: 0
Committee Referrals
2026-01-14 S Courts of Justice 2026-02-24 H Courts of Justice
Amendments
0000-00-00 Courts of Justice Amendment 0000-00-00 House Amendment
Bill Text Versions
2026-01-14 Introduced 2026-02-11 Comm Sub 2026-02-12 Comm Sub 2026-03-12 Enrolled Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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