Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Mark Glass, Commissioner
Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Mark Glass, Commissioner
Accepting Applications beginning on Thursday, October 1, 2027 at 12:00 PM (Noon) EST.
In past sessions, the Florida Legislature amended Section 934.50, Florida Statutes to require governmental entities to only utilize drones meeting the requirements outlined in Rule 60GG-2.0075, Florida Administrative Code. This change required governmental agencies that use drones for various purposes to cease using any drone that is not in compliance with the Rule.
During the 2026-27 Legislative Session, the statute was amended to create the "Drones as First Responder" grant program. FDLE's Criminal Justice Grants (CJG) received authority to administer $2.5 million in state financial assistance to eligible entities under this program for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
To be eligible for an award under this program, the recipient must meet the definition of a “first responder agency” as defined in s. 365.179(1)(a), F.S. This includes:
State agencies are not eligible to receive funding under this award.
Awards under this program are subject to the following funding limitations:
Unless the agency is located in a fiscally constrained county, each recipient must contribute 50% of the total project cost using local funds, and the grant will cover the remaining 50%. The system will automatically apply this match at reimbursement. Match will be automatically calculated and deducted when reimbursement is requested. For example, if the total reimbursement request for one drone is $30,000, the maximum amount the grant will reimburse is $15,000, and the recipient will be responsible for the remaining 50% using local funds.
Current fiscally constrained counties, as described in s. 218.67(1), F.S., include: Baker, Bradford, Calhoun, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Okeechobee, Putnam, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Wakulla, and Washington.
Available funds will be distributed to eligible entities as described above on a first-come, first- served basis, determine by the date a complete application is submitted, until all funds are obligated.
Grants are awarded for a 9-month period, beginning October 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027. These awards cannot be extended. Drones purchased prior to the execution of the award agreement are not eligible for reimbursement. All drones provided under this program must be ordered prior to June 30, 2027. All payment request under this program must be completed by August 31, 2027.
Recipients must submit an application through the FDLE electronic grant management system, Euna Grants (AmpliFund).
The application portal will open for submissions on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 12:00 PM (Noon) EST.
Information on registering for an account and submitting the program application is available in the DFR Program Recipient Guide.
FDLE is composed of five areas: Executive Direction and Business Support, Criminal Investigations and Forensic Science, Criminal Justice Information, Criminal Justice Professionalism and Florida Capitol Police. FDLE’s duties, responsibilities and procedures are mandated through Chapter 943, FS, and Chapter 11, FAC. To learn more about these areas, read our Statement of Agency Organization and Operation or visit our Open Government page.
