New Seattle Public Service Announcement Emphasizes Leaving Your Drone at Home
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has established a “No Drone Zone” for FIFA World Cup 2026. Unsafe and improper use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones poses a physical hazard to other aircraft and individuals on the ground and can violate federal law.
The FBI is working with the FAA to enforce temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), using federally authorized capabilities to detect, track, and assess unauthorized drone activity, with personnel from both agencies deployed full-time to identify drone activity that could threaten aviation safety, critical infrastructure, or public safety at and around event venues.
FBI Seattle, together with our partners from Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, the Port of Seattle, and DHS agencies, including the Federal Air Marshal Service, have developed a new public service announcement, emphasizing the importance of drone operators checking for active flight restrictions. One-minute and 30-second versions of the public service announcement are available for download.
TFRs will be in place for all U.S. match venues and associated event sites. In Seattle, the TFRs will cover Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field) and a radius of 3 miles around the stadium. The TFRs will be in place 3 hours before the match until 3 hours after the conclusion of the match on the following dates:
- Monday, June 15, 2026
- Friday, June 19, 2026
- Wednesday, June 24, 2026
- Friday, June 26, 2026
- Wednesday, July 1, 2026
- Monday, July 6, 2026
Before every flight, drone operators should check for active flight restrictions using an FAA-approved B4UFLY service provider. A list of approved providers offering free airspace awareness tools for desktop and mobile is available at faa.gov/uas/getting_started/b4ufly.
Drone operators who enter restricted airspace without authorization may face fines of up to $100,000, drone confiscation, and federal criminal felony or misdemeanor charges, with the FBI identifying operators, seizing drones, and supporting prosecution.
If you observe unsafe or improper use of a drone, report it to the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.
Keeping Americans safe is the FBI’s number-one mission. With nearly a dozen U.S. cities including Seattle hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026™, the FBI is working closely with our partners in the city of Seattle and King County to keep every match and fan as safe as possible. The FBI activates a variety of personnel and resources to ensure large-scale events are secure.
The SAFER SKIES Act, signed into law in December 2025, authorizes trained and certified state and local law enforcement to support counter-UAS operations at major public events, critical infrastructure, and other protected sites. For the FIFA World Cup, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security will lead coordinated counter-UAS protection across all U.S. host cities. Trained state and local officers will serve on FBI-led task forces to support counter-UAS operations at tournament venues and associated sites as needed.
Resources:
- Vimeo video: Seattle “no drone zone” public service announcement (1 minute)
- Vimeo video: Seattle “no drone zone” public service announcement (30 seconds)
- FAA World Cup web page
- FAA PDF: Downloadable “no drone zone” graphics (Click text link below each image to download asset.)
- Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) video: National Counter-UAS Training Center: FBI Drone and Operator (b-roll)
- DVIDS video: National Counter-UAS Training Center (b-roll)
- DVIDS video: National Counter-UAS Training Center (pre-produced video)
FBI Seattle is one of the 56 FBI field offices located in the United States. The mission of the FBI is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States. For more information, visit fbi.gov or fbi.gov/seattle.
