Florida Law Limits Use of ADS-B Data for Airport Fees

This article features original AirPro News reporting and analysis based on primary legislative documents.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has officially signed Senate Bill 422 into law, establishing new restrictions on how airports within the state can utilize Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) data. According to reporting by AVweb, the governor signed the legislation on April 23, 2026, preventing airports from using this safety-critical tracking information to assess and collect fees from general aviation pilots.

Taking effect on July 1, 2026, we view this measure as a major legislative win for aviation privacy and general aviation advocates. By prohibiting the use of ADS-B data as an automated billing mechanism, Florida lawmakers aim to ensure the technology remains dedicated to its primary purpose: enhancing airspace safety and situational awareness.

According to the enrolled bill text published by the Florida Legislature, the new regulations specifically target automated toll-style collections for light aircraft conducting standard operations, such as touch-and-go landings, or simply transiting local airspace.

Key Provisions of Senate Bill 422

Weight and Operational Limits

The protections outlined in SB 422 are specifically tailored to general aviation. The legislative text restricts ADS-B fee collection for aircraft with a gross weight of 12,499 pounds or less. Furthermore, these protections apply to aircraft operating under standard Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules, ensuring that private pilots and small flight schools are shielded from automated tracking fees.

Restricted Fee Scenarios

The legislation explicitly outlines the circumstances under which airports are barred from monetizing ADS-B data. Whether the data originates from ADS-B In or ADS-B Out systems, airports cannot use it to calculate, generate, or collect charges from aircraft owners or operators in two specific scenarios.

First, the prohibition applies when a fee would be assessed for a departure or a landing. This explicitly includes touch-and-go landings, which are a fundamental component of flight training. Second, airports cannot charge fees based simply on an aircraft entering a specified radius of the facility’s airspace.

“An airport may not use information broadcast or collected by automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast systems… as a means for calculating, generating, and collecting fees from aircraft owners or operators who operate aircraft within the geographic boundaries of this state,”

the enrolled bill states.

The Broader Push for Aviation Privacy

AirPro News analysis

In our assessment, the enactment of SB 422 in Florida highlights a growing national consensus against the monetization of aviation safety data. ADS-B technology was mandated by the FAA to modernize the national airspace system, providing air traffic controllers and pilots with highly accurate GPS-based positioning to prevent midair collisions. We believe it was never intended to function as a digital cash register for local airport authorities.

Florida’s legislative action aligns with broader industry efforts to protect pilot privacy. In May 2025, Montana became the first state to ban the collection of ADS-B-based fees from most general aviation pilots, according to reporting by GlobalAir.com. Meanwhile, at the federal level, the proposed Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act (PAPA) has been gaining momentum in Congress. As noted by GlobalAir.com, that federal legislation seeks to prohibit the use of aircraft identification data for profit without explicit permission from the owner or operator.

Aviation advocacy groups have consistently argued that using ADS-B for billing purposes could create perverse incentives, potentially discouraging pilots from utilizing the safety technology to its fullest extent. By passing SB 422, we observe that Florida has reinforced the principle that safety systems should remain strictly focused on safety.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is ADS-B?

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) is an advanced aviation surveillance technology. According to the Florida bill text, it combines an aircraft’s positioning source, avionics, and ground infrastructure to broadcast data such as GPS location, altitude, and ground speed to air traffic control and other aircraft.

When does the new Florida law take effect?

Senate Bill 422 officially takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Which aircraft are protected under SB 422?

The law applies to aircraft with a gross weight of 12,499 pounds or less operating under FAA rules.

Sources

• Florida Legislature