48-Hour Incident Reporting
Under the SAFER SKIES Act, every counter-drone incident must be reported to the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security within 48 hours. Here is what your agency needs to know.
THE REQUIREMENT
What the Law Requires
Any SLTT agency that exercises its counter-drone authority under the SAFER SKIES Act must submit an incident report to both DOJ and DHS within 48 hours of each incident. The clock starts the moment the incident occurs — not when your report is drafted, reviewed, or approved internally.
This is a mandatory statutory obligation. There is no waiver process, and no extension mechanism exists in the current statute.
STATUTORY REPORT FIELDS
What Must Be Included in Every Report
The statute specifies exactly four fields that must be included in every incident report. No more, no less.
Date, Time, and Location of the Incident
The precise date, time, and geographic location where the counter-drone incident occurred. Accuracy matters for federal record-keeping and cross-referencing with other agency reports.
Description of the Threat
A factual account of the threat posed by the unauthorized UAS, including the nature of the threat and any relevant contextual information about the circumstances.
Capabilities and Technologies Used for Mitigation
The specific equipment, technologies, and capabilities your agency deployed to detect, track, or mitigate the unauthorized drone. All equipment must appear on the Authorized Technologies List.
Operational Outcomes Including Whether the Drone Was Seized or Destroyed
The result of the counter-drone operation, specifically including whether the unmanned aircraft was seized, destroyed, or otherwise neutralized, along with any other relevant outcomes.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Failure to file incident reports within the 48-hour window exposes agencies to significant consequences. These may include fines of up to $100,000 per violation, suspension or revocation of the agency's counter-drone authority, disqualification from future federal grant funding, and referral for federal oversight review.
Beyond financial penalties, non-compliance puts your agency's ability to operate counter-drone programs at risk. A single missed deadline can trigger a cascade of consequences.
HOW VECTAERO HELPS
Never Miss a Reporting Deadline
Countdown Timer
A live 48-hour countdown starts the moment an incident is logged, with escalating alerts at 24 hours, 12 hours, 6 hours, and 1 hour remaining.
Guided Form
A structured form walks officers through each of the four statutory fields, ensuring nothing is missed and every report meets federal requirements.
Auto-Generated Federal Format
VectAero automatically formats your report into the DOJ/DHS submission format, eliminating manual reformatting and reducing errors.
Do not let the clock run out
VectAero's incident reporting module ensures your agency never misses a 48-hour federal deadline.
Request Early AccessCompliance obligations reflect current statutory requirements under Sections 8601–8607 of the FY2026 NDAA. Implementing regulations due June 15, 2026 will provide additional specificity.