The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a civil penalty of US$289,215 against a Washington state drone operator, a case that underscores the growing regulatory scrutiny surrounding agricultural drone use in farming.
According to the FAA, Gorge Drones, based in Stevenson, Washington, allegedly conducted a series of unauthorized agricultural drone flights in 2025. Regulators claim the company operated an unmanned aircraft on 15 occasions to dispense fertilizer without holding the required agricultural aircraft operator certificate.
The agency further alleges that the drone used during the operations was not registered with the FAA and lacked an airworthiness certificate, both of which are required under applicable regulations for the type of operation being conducted.