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A1924 • 2026

Creates fourth degree crime of operating drone equipped with weapon.

Creates fourth degree crime of operating drone equipped with weapon.

Crime Firearms
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Quijano, Annette
Last action
2026-01-13
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Creates fourth degree crime of operating drone equipped with weapon.

Creates fourth degree crime of operating drone equipped with weapon.

What This Bill Does

  • Creates fourth degree crime of operating drone equipped with weapon.
  • Topic: Judiciary Fiscal note: This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee

Official Summary Text

Creates fourth degree crime of operating drone equipped with weapon.
Topic:
Judiciary
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A1924

ASSEMBLY, No. 1924

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO

District 20 (Union)

Assemblyman JAY WEBBER

District 26 (Morris and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� Creates fourth degree crime of operating drone
equipped with weapon.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

concerning unmanned
aircraft systems

and supplementing Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

1.

a.� As used in this section:

����� �Anti-personnel
device� means a firearm as defined in N.J.S.2C:39-1, any prohibited weapon or
device under N.J.S.2C:39-3, or any other projectile designed to harm,
incapacitate, or otherwise negatively impact a human being.

����� �Civilian
unmanned aircraft system� means an unmanned aircraft and associated elements,
including communication links and the components that control the unmanned
aircraft that are required for the pilot in command to operate safely and
efficiently. �The term shall apply only to unmanned aircraft and associated
elements owned or operated by a private individual or business entity.

����� "Operate"
shall have the same meaning as defined in section 1 of P.L.2017, c.315
(C.2C:40-27).

����� "Unmanned
aircraft" shall have the same meaning as defined in section 1 of P.L.2017,
c.315 (C.2C:40-27).

����� b.�� A
person who operates a civilian unmanned aircraft system that is equipped with
an anti-personnel device shall be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes as a
fourth degree crime the operation of a drone that is equipped with a weapon.

���� Specifically, under the
provisions of this bill, a person who operates a civilian unmanned aerial
vehicle, commonly referred to as a drone, that is equipped with an
anti-personnel device is guilty of a fourth degree crime. A fourth degree crime
is punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or
both.

���� The bill defines �civilian
unmanned aerial vehicle� as an aerial vehicle owned or operated by a private
individual or business entity that uses aerodynamic forces to propel the
vehicle and does not carry a human operator, and which is capable of flying autonomously
or being piloted remotely and conducting surveillance.