Small aircraft owners would be shielded from ADS-B fees

New York would bar governments and private companies from using aircraft tracking data to bill owners of planes weighing 12,500 pounds or less and flying under the FAA’s private-flight rules, starting Jan. 1, 2027. The bill would still allow the data to be used for air traffic control, safety, search and rescue and law enforcement with a warrant or in an emergency.

Under the proposal, no government division and no private company could use information broadcast or collected by ADS-B systems to calculate, generate or collect fees from aircraft owners or operators within the state. The restriction would apply to aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or less that operate under federal Part 91 rules, and it would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

A data stream, not a revenue stream

The bill draws its line carefully. It would not block ADS-B use for air traffic control, aviation safety or search and rescue. What it shuts down is the jump from flight data to a bill.

For pilots and owners, the practical effect is simple: flying through New York would not let anyone turn a plane’s location or movement data into a fee calculation. The proposal keeps the information tied to its original purpose, which is helping aircraft and controllers see where traffic is and move it safely.

That matters because ADS-B is built to make aircraft more visible, not to serve as a hidden meter. The bill says that visibility cannot be repurposed into a charge just because the aircraft flew within the state’s borders.