Have government officials used a drone to snoop around your private property without permission?

We want to hear from you!

Drones have captured the American imagination for their various recreational and commercial uses, from package delivery to cinematography. But they have also raised significant concerns for their use as a surveillance tool. Government officials—from police to zoning inspectors—have begun using them to search private property for potential evidence of infractions they otherwise couldn’t see from public view.  

But the Constitution’s Fourth Amendment does not yield to new technology. When the government wants to snoop around our private spaces, whether it be by man or by machine, it needs to get a warrant first.  

Fill out the form below and IJ attorneys will review your potential case.

Officials in a northern Michigan town wanted to search Todd Maxon’s property for possible zoning violations. The problem is they couldn’t see anything from the ground. So they hired a drone operator to take to the air and collect evidence against Todd, all without ever getting a warrant. Todd teamed up with IJ to take his case all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court. 

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