SC H4679 compliance checklist: what to verify before January 1, 2027

January 1, 2027 is 65 days away. On that date, South Carolina H4679 takes effect and commercial drone operators who are not FAA Part 107 certified are operating illegally under state law, not just federal. For GCs, developers, and construction managers who hire drone vendors for job site documentation, SWPPP inspections, or aerial mapping, the law adds state-level exposure to what was previously a federal-only liability question. The checklist below covers what to verify before year-end.

1. Verify Part 107 certification for every drone vendor on active projects

Ask each drone operator working on your sites for a copy of their FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. It is a single-page document issued by the FAA with the operator's full name, certificate number, and expiration date. A legitimate commercial operator already has this certificate and will produce it immediately on request.

Check two things on the certificate: the name matches the operator who will be flying on your site, and the expiration date has not passed. Part 107 certificates must be renewed every 24 months via a recurrent knowledge test. An expired certificate means the operator is not currently certified.

If a vendor cannot produce a Part 107 certificate, that is a disqualifying problem under H4679 and has been a disqualifying problem under federal law since August 2016. Remove them from your approved vendor list.

2. Collect a certificate of insurance

H4679 does not establish a state minimum insurance requirement for drone operators, but commercial drone liability insurance is the standard prequalification requirement alongside Part 107 certification. The certificate of insurance should name your company as an additional insured on the drone operator's commercial general liability and aviation liability policies.

The minimum coverage amounts that most GCs and owners require for drone subcontractors range from 1 million to 2 million dollars per occurrence. Confirm the amounts match your standard subcontractor insurance requirements. For NPDES-permitted construction projects, some environmental consultants and project owners specify coverage amounts in the subcontract.

3. Add H4679 requirements to your drone vendor qualification checklist

If your company uses a vendor qualification process or standard subcontractor prequalification form, add two line items before year-end: FAA Part 107 certificate on file, and certificate of insurance with required coverage amounts on file. These are not new requirements, but H4679 makes them state law requirements and adds state enforcement authority, which changes the liability exposure for any project owner or GC who knowingly uses an uncertified operator after January 1.

For ongoing construction programs that use drone documentation across multiple active sites, run the verification now rather than at year-end. A 30-day review window is enough time to replace a vendor that cannot meet the requirements.

4. If your company operates drones in-house

H4679 applies to commercial drone operations, defined as any flight conducted for business purposes or compensation. If your company uses company-owned drones for site documentation, progress photos, or aerial surveys and those flights are not operated by a Part 107-certified pilot, you are out of compliance under federal law already and will be out of compliance under state law after January 1.

Any in-house operator conducting commercial flights needs an active Part 107 certificate. The knowledge test is administered by FAA-approved testing centers. The test covers airspace regulations, weather interpretation, drone performance, and flight operations. Study time varies, but most candidates need 10 to 20 hours of preparation. Scheduling a test date now allows time to retake if needed before January 1.

What H4679 does not change for construction site documentation

Standard construction documentation work is not the target of H4679. A Part 107 operator conducting a BMP inspection flight, a progress monitoring flight, or a drone mapping survey over a permitted construction site is doing exactly the kind of work the law was designed to accommodate. The critical infrastructure exclusion zones apply to designated utilities, water treatment facilities, and correctional institutions. Standard commercial and residential construction sites are not designated critical infrastructure.

The privacy provisions apply to persistent or targeted surveillance-type imaging over private property without authorization. Aerial documentation of an active construction project the operator has been contracted to document does not fall under the privacy restriction.

For the full overview of what the law requires, see what SC H4679 means for your construction site. For a broader look at who the law applies to beyond construction, see SC H4679 effective date: what changes for commercial drone operations. For the contractor-specific overview, see what changes for construction sites under SC H4679.

Upstate Drone Services holds an active FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate and carries commercial drone liability insurance. Certificate and certificate of insurance are available on request for any project requiring vendor documentation.