Flying a drone over Legion Field on Oct. 31 can now cost up to $500 under a new state law. Birmingham is moving to let police ticket it on the spot.

Anyone planning to fly a drone over the Magic City Classic on Saturday, Oct. 31, should leave it at home. A new Alabama law makes it illegal to fly one within 400 feet of, or above, a ticketed event like the game at Legion Field. A first offense carries a fine of up to $500.

The Birmingham City Council is now moving to let police handle that first offense with a ticket. The ordinance had its first reading at the council’s Oct. 20 meeting.

Updated Oct. 31: The drone fine ordinance was not on the council’s Oct. 27 agenda (PDF). The city had not published a final vote by Saturday. The state law and its $500 fine apply at Legion Field either way.

What the state law says

The law is House Bill 429 (PDF), passed by the Legislature in March. It took effect Oct. 1, 2026. It covers any music, sporting or performing arts event held behind gates, where you need a ticket to get in.

  • Flying a drone within 400 feet of the event, or above it, is unlawful.
  • A first violation is punishable by a fine of up to $500.
  • A second or later violation is a Class A misdemeanor.

The law lists seven exceptions. It does not apply when:

  • the operator has consent from someone with legal authority over the event
  • the operator is authorized under federal rules and is flying lawfully under them
  • the operator works for the venue and is on official business
  • the operator works for a utility and is on official business
  • a property owner flies their own drone over their own land, within federal rules and not for commercial use, messages, broadcast recording or monitoring the event
  • the operator is an employee or volunteer with a state agency, police, fire or emergency management agency on official business
  • the event is a middle school or high school sports event

What Birmingham is adding

The council’s Oct. 20 agenda lists the ordinance as Item 14, recommended by the Public Safety Committee. It would add a first offense of “Unlawful Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems near ticketed entertainment event” to the city’s fine schedule for minor offenses. That is the list of offenses a person can settle by paying a fine, without a court date.

The item was on the agenda for its first reading. The ordinance does not create a new ban. The ban is the state’s; the city ordinance sets how Birmingham police can cite a first offense. The council’s next regular meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 27.

The FAA no-fly zone was already there

Federal rules already bar drones over big college football games. The FAA’s sporting event restriction, NOTAM 4/3621 (PDF), covers stadiums that seat 30,000 or more during NFL, Major League Baseball and NCAA Division I football games.

  • It applies within 3 nautical miles of the stadium, up to 3,000 feet.
  • It runs from one hour before the scheduled start until one hour after the event ends.
  • It covers drones and remote-controlled aircraft.

Legion Field seats 71,000, according to the city. Alabama A&M and Alabama State both play Division I football in the SWAC. Kickoff is 2:30 p.m., so the federal restriction starts at 1:30 p.m. and runs until an hour after the final whistle.

The stadium’s own list of prohibited items also includes “remote controlled drones or devices,” so a drone cannot come through the gates either.

What it means for you

  • Do not fly a drone over or near Legion Field on game day. Under the state law, a first offense can cost up to $500. A second is a misdemeanor.
  • Do not bring one to the stadium. Drones are on the prohibited items list.
  • The rule is not just for the Classic. It applies to any gated, ticketed concert, game or show in Alabama, except middle and high school sports.
  • Pilots with FAA authorization still have to stay out of the federal no-fly zone around the stadium on game day.

Game day at a glance

The city’s Know Before You Go notice, issued Oct. 22, lists the main details for the 85th Classic:

  • Gates open at 12:30 p.m.
  • Tickets are $27.50 for general admission and $38.50 for reserved seats.
  • Shuttles cost $5 a person from the Birmingham CrossPlex and Park Place; children 6 and under ride free.
  • Remaining tailgating spaces go on sale at 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 26, in the bus lot.
  • Game day parking at the stadium is $50 while spaces last.
  • ADA seating is in the south end zone.
  • Legion Field is a clear bag stadium.

Our Magic City Classic guide has the parade route, road closures, shuttle stops and tailgating rules. The city has also opened a free photo exhibition on the Classic’s history on the second floor of City Hall, on display through the end of the year. See getting around and things to do this month.