The SAFER SKIES Act (part of the FY2026 NDAA, P.L. 119-60) expands limited counter-UAS authority to trained state, local, Tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement and correctional agencies. A joint DOJ/DHS interim final rule, effective July 1, 2026, sets training, certification, authorized technology lists, operations plans, and reporting.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with counsel and the controlling rule (91 FR 41466; 6 CFR / 28 CFR Part 124).
What changed
Until recently, most lawful drone-mitigation authority sat with a small set of federal agencies. SAFER SKIES lets eligible SLTT agencies—when personnel are certified and rules are followed—detect, identify, monitor, track, warn operators, and, with higher certification, mitigate drones that pose a credible threat to people, facilities, major events, critical infrastructure, or correctional institutions.
Participation is voluntary. Authority runs through the agency's own certified officers (not contractors) and federal coordination channels such as the FBI's C-UAS / LEEP portal.
Two certification tiers
Detection and Warning — Find, track, identify, warn, and (under the rule's framework) seize. Typically a free online NCUTC course and lighter oversight.
Mitigation — Disrupt, disable, take control, or otherwise stop a threatening UAS. Requires resident training at the FBI National Counter-UAS Training Center (NCUTC), plus stricter coordination and reporting.
Equipment that needs the Act's legal relief must sit in categories on the federal Authorized Technologies List, and, where populated, specific makes/models on the Authorized Systems List.
Where Remote ID detection fits
The practical line many agencies are using: technologies that receive broadcast Remote ID (and other passive awareness layers that do not depend on decoding protected control-link content or jamming) remain available under existing authorities and are the fastest way to build an airspace baseline.
Zing's position is deliberate:
- Z-SCAN and Z-SCAN MINI receive Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Remote ID so teams can see compliant aircraft, map activity, and locate the operator when the broadcast includes that data.
- Zing does not jam, disable, capture, or take control of any aircraft. Response stays with the agency's own authority and procedures.
- That makes Remote ID detection a low-friction first step while an agency decides whether to pursue Detection and Warning certification, Mitigation certification, grant funding, or standing operations plans.
If your mission later requires restricted C-UAS features on the federal lists, those sit on top of—not instead of—knowing what is already broadcasting overhead.
Who this matters for
- Police, fire, and emergency management covering scenes, crowds, and sensitive ops
- Correctional facilities dealing with contraband and perimeter surveillance drones
- Agencies protecting major events or critical sites that may later seek certified C-UAS authority
A practical sequence
- Field passive Remote ID awareness (belt, vehicle, rooftop, or fixed site).
- Log real activity so threat, policy, and funding decisions are evidence-based.
- Decide whether Detection and Warning certification (or Mitigation) is justified.
- Align procurement and grants to that documented baseline.