Virginia Public Safety Grants & Drone Compliance

What the DCJS Trade and Replace Grant Actually Covers

The CY2026 DCJS program is for Virginia local law enforcement, local fire or ambulance providers and other local first responder agencies replacing eligible drones already in use. DCJS identifies China (including Hong Kong), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela in its guidance. The program requires replacements meeting its noncovered-entity / ASDA criteria; verify the proposed make, model and manufacturer with DCJS.

The guidelines cap the entire award at $25,000, even if it replaces several aircraft, and limit each replacement aircraft to $25,000. The number bought cannot exceed the number surrendered. No local match is required. The grant runs January 1 through December 31, 2026; the first deadline was October 24, 2025.

Funding reimburses eligible paid costs after submission of a paid invoice plus signed Certificates of Acquisition and Destruction. The replaced aircraft must be rendered unusable. Training, software, maintenance, personnel and added warranties are excluded. The DCJS web page says ancillary equipment and accessories are ineligible, while its PDF says some functional accessories and spare parts may be considered; obtain written DCJS clarification before budgeting either.

Federal Funding, Blue UAS and Cybersecurity

OMB M-26-02, Appendix D implements the federal-award ASDA spending restriction from December 22, 2025: federal award funds generally cannot procure or be used in connection with operating a FASC-prohibited UAS, subject to applicable exemptions and waivers. The applicable federal test is not just a generic “NDAA compliant” label.

For BJA-funded UAS purchases, get express prior approval and provide BJA's certification tied to the DCMA Blue UAS Cleared List. BJA's current policy also addresses configurations/accessories, federal information, the Commerce Consolidated Screening List, and privacy, civil-liberties and cybersecurity assurances. Review cameras, radio links, firmware, cloud routing, storage, access controls and vendor support as part of the same purchase.

Virginia's VDOT November 2025 memo applies these restrictions to VDOT's federally supported projects and its participating contractors and localities. It does not itself create a blanket purchasing rule for every unrelated Virginia local-government project.

Virginia Flight and Surveillance Rules

Under Virginia Code § 19.2-60.1, covered state and local agencies with criminal-law-enforcement or regulatory jurisdiction generally need a search warrant or lawful administrative/inspection warrant to use a UAS. Statutory exceptions include immediate danger, specified alerts, crash reconstruction, consent, certain arrest-warrant / hot-pursuit uses, training for authorized uses, and non-law-enforcement functions such as damage, flood-stage and wildfire assessment. Read the exact exception before deployment; unlawful evidence may be inadmissible.

The same section generally bars state and local government deployment or facilitation of weaponized drones, with its stated Wallops Island exception and counter-UAS clarification. Virginia Code § 18.2-121.3 also addresses intentional UAS trespass and certain sensitive locations, subject to its exceptions. Follow applicable FAA operating requirements.

NDAA Section 889, TAA and the FCC Are Different Checks

NDAA Section 889 covers specified telecommunications and video-surveillance equipment or services in federal contracting; screen surveillance cameras, networking and radios separately. Trade Agreements Act / FAR Subpart 25.4 country-of-origin rules apply to covered federal acquisitions, not automatically to every Virginia grant or municipal purchase.

The FCC's December 2025 Covered List action affects new equipment authorizations for foreign-produced UAS and critical components. The FCC says it does not prohibit the use, sale or import of previously authorized device models. An FCC approval, an ASDA assessment and Blue UAS status answer different questions.

Practical Virginia Procurement Checklist

1. 1Identify the funding source and grant. Confirm state-only, federal pass-through or direct federal dollars and all award conditions.
2. 2Document country and configuration. Record manufacturer, assembly, serial number, major components, firmware, data paths and seller certifications.
3. 3Ask the administrator first. Secure BJA UAS approval or DCJS written cost clarification where applicable, before obligating funds.
4. 4Plan lawful operations. Verify the mission's Virginia warrant basis or exception, FAA authority, privacy policy and cybersecurity controls.
5. 5Retain the audit file. Preserve approvals, procurement records, paid invoices and, for DCJS replacement awards, the signed acquisition and destruction certificates.