UAVs and the Fourth Amendment: When does a drone become a search?

Drones are changing how police work gets done. They're fast, efficient, and give eyes in the sky like never before. But when it comes to the Fourth Amendment, those same flights can raise serious legal concerns. This course is built to give officers, supervisors, and drone pilots a practical understanding of when drone use crosses the legal line into a “search.” By walking through key court cases—both classic and current—you’ll see how judges look at drone surveillance, low-level overflights, zoom tech, and thermal imaging. You’ll learn the difference between what can be seen from a public vantage point and what demands a warrant. We also cover the latest on remote ID rules, curtilage, and how the mosaic theory from Carpenter v. United States is starting to shape aerial surveillance law.