Preparing for the Next Megaevent: New Federal Counter-UAS Rules Will Reshape Aviation Security in the United States

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) have published an interim final rule, effective July 1, 2026, to codify the framework governing counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) through implementation of the SAFER SKIES Act, which authorizes state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) agencies to conduct C-UAS operations.

Together with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) four supporting expedited actions, these changes are intended to build a scalable, nationwide counter-drone capability that extends beyond limited federal resources, and the new interim final rule provides the framework governing training/certification, authorized technologies, spectrum coordination, airspace approvals, air traffic notification, reporting, privacy, and compliance requirements for SLTT agencies.

The resulting regulatory framework significantly expands the C-UAS landscape, with important implications for law enforcement agencies, airport operators, stadium operators, UAS manufacturers, C-UAS vendors, commercial drone operators, and virtually every stakeholder operating in or around the National Airspace System.

The timing of these developments is particularly significant as the United States enters an unprecedented period of major public events. Large-scale events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Los Angeles and 2034 Salt Lake City Olympic Games, Super Bowls, College Football Playoff championships, Formula One races, and other large-scale gatherings place extraordinary demands on aviation security and counter-drone operations.

During the recently wrapped 2026 FIFA World Cup, US agencies seized more than 700 drones in the vicinity of match sites, including 10 unauthorized aircraft that were intercepted by F-16 fighter jets during the World Cup final in New Jersey. The new regulatory actions are expected to play a central role in securing these events while shaping the broader operational and compliance landscape for public- and private-sector stakeholders. 

MEGAEVENTS ARE DRIVING THE REGULATORY AGENDA

The interim final rule highlights recent experience demonstrating why the federal government believes existing authorities are no longer sufficient. It cites thousands of drone incursions over NFL stadiums in recent years, documented prosecutions involving unauthorized flights over sporting events, and hundreds of drone incursions recorded during the opening weeks of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

It also identifies the simultaneous demands created by the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations as a principal reason DHS and DOJ invoked the Administrative Procedure Act’s “good cause” exception to issue the interim final rule immediately rather than first publishing a proposed rule.

The underlying concern is straightforward: federal C-UAS teams cannot be everywhere. Large sporting events increasingly occur simultaneously across multiple jurisdictions. During tournaments such as the FIFA World Cup—or future US-hosted Olympic Games in Los Angeles and Salt Lake City—multiple venues may require continuous drone detection and mitigation while airports, critical infrastructure, and surrounding municipalities maintain their own security operations. The previous model, which relied heavily on federal task forces and deputized local officers, was unlikely to scale. The SAFER SKIES framework is intended to solve that problem.

EXPANDING AUTHORITY WITHOUT SACRIFICING AVIATION SAFETY

Rather than broadly decentralizing C-UAS authority, DHS and DOJ have created one of the most structured regulatory frameworks yet adopted for unauthorized UAS mitigation. Certified state and local agencies may independently detect, identify, monitor, track, warn, seize, and, when appropriate, mitigate threatening drones.

Every aspect of that authority is conditioned on extensive federal oversight, including C-UAS operations plans that address specific risk-based assessment factors, mandatory certification, approved technologies, privacy safeguards, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) coordination, and ongoing compliance audits.

Mitigation operations generally require FAA coordination, as operators must maintain awareness of nearby authorized aircraft before taking action, and agencies must provide real-time notification to air traffic control whenever mitigation systems are activated. For airports and sporting venues located near controlled airspace, these provisions reflect an important policy choice: counter-drone operations are becoming integrated into airspace management rather than existing solely as law enforcement functions.

STADIUMS, AIRPORTS, AND HOST CITIES BECOME KEY BENEFICIARIES

While much attention has focused on expanded law enforcement authority, some of the greatest practical benefits may accrue to operators of major venues. Professional stadiums, airports, convention centers, and surrounding municipalities have experienced growing numbers of unauthorized drone incursions in recent years. The rule expressly identifies large-scale public gatherings as one of the primary protected categories under the SAFER SKIES Act.

For organizers of recurring events, including NFL and MLB games, NASCAR races, PGA tournaments, Formula One events, and future Olympic venues, the rule authorizes standing operational windows and recurring protection plans that reduce administrative burdens while maintaining federal coordination. This approach should allow certified agencies to develop permanent regional C-UAS capabilities rather than assemble temporary federal task forces for each event.

MANUFACTURERS FACE A DUAL-REGULATORY REGIME

The interim final rule also reshapes the commercial landscape for C-UAS manufacturers, as agencies may deploy only technologies appearing on federally maintained authorized technologies lists and authorized systems lists. At the same time, the FCC’s companion actions recognize that statutory authority alone does not resolve communications law issues.

The FCC issued a nationwide special temporary authority permitting qualified agencies to operate approved radio frequency–based systems while longer-term licensing mechanisms are developed, and waived certain equipment authorization requirements to accelerate deployment of approved technologies.

Together, these actions establish a dual-track regulatory system: DHS and DOJ determine whether technologies may be operationally employed while the FCC continues to regulate spectrum use and equipment authorization.

LOOKING BEYOND FIFA

While the interim final rule was unquestionably influenced by the 2026 FIFA World Cup and other immediate security concerns, its significance transcends those events. The United States will continue hosting an expanding calendar of internationally significant sporting events throughout the coming decade, including the LA 2028 Summer Olympics and Salt Lake City 2034 Winter Olympics.

Stadium operators, airports, host cities, and law enforcement agencies increasingly will need permanent rather than temporary counter-drone capabilities. The coordinated actions by DHS, DOJ, FAA, FCC, and other federal agencies suggest the government is building precisely that infrastructure.

KEY LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS

The interim final rule and expedited FCC actions are likely the beginning—not the end—of the federal regulatory framework. Organizations that manufacture C-UAS technologies, operate critical infrastructure, manage major venues, or support aviation security should begin assessing how this evolving framework will affect both current operations and long-term strategic planning.

Key legal and operational considerations include:

• Assessing procurement and technology eligibility. Determine whether existing or planned C-UAS technologies satisfy DHS/DOJ authorization requirements and FCC equipment authorization and spectrum-use requirements, or might be eligible for an FCC waiver, before procurement or deployment.
• Reviewing contracts and risk allocation. Revisit vendor agreements, technology procurement contracts, venue security agreements, and indemnification provisions to address evolving regulatory requirements, operational responsibilities, and potential liability associated with C-UAS operations.
• Evaluating operational readiness. Coordinate with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to understand certification requirements, FAA coordination procedures, incident reporting obligations, and protocols for recurring protection plans at major events.
• Updating governance and compliance programs. Review internal policies governing privacy, data retention, cybersecurity, and records management to ensure they align with the new federal framework and anticipated oversight and audit requirements.
• Incorporating C-UAS requirements into event and infrastructure planning. Airports, stadiums, host cities, and critical infrastructure operators should integrate counter-drone capabilities into broader security planning, emergency response protocols, and aviation safety management systems rather than treat them as standalone law enforcement functions.

Organizations that begin evaluating these issues now will be better positioned to navigate the legal, operational, and commercial implications of an increasingly permanent national counter-drone framework, one that is likely to define aviation security well beyond the current cycle of megaevents.