University and auxiliary employees are required to obtain approval from the University prior to the acquisition or operation of UAS or UAS components to be used in any work relating to the University or any sponsored program associated with the University.

Acquisition

Prohibited:

• UAS and UAS critical components produced in a foreign country will be listed on the covered entities list. This list essentially covers all foreign-manufactured UAS and are prohibited from acquisition.
• The only foriegn produced UAS that are acceptable for purchase are listed on the Blue UAS Cleared List.

Any new acquisition must be requested and approved prior to purchase. Reimbursement may be denied if the UAS is prohibited.

UAS Acquisition and Operation Approval Form

Operation

Prior authorization from California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) and Risk Management Services (RMS) is required before operating a drone in the following circumstances:

1. Any drone flight launched from University-owned or managed property, regardless of drone ownership.
2. Any drone flight on or off campus using a CSUS-acquired* drone.

*For purposes of this policy, drones acquired or purchased by CSUS auxiliaries (including UEI and other recognized auxiliaries) are considered CSUS-acquired drones.

A new application must be filled out per research project using drones.

UAS Acquisition and Operation Approval Form

Existing Drones

The University may allow continued use of an existing DJI or other covered drone only if all of the following conditions are met:

• The drone was not purchased with federal funds, and
• The drone is not operated for federally funded activities, and
• The operation does not rely on federal resources or support, including personnel, facilities, or cost-sharing.

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Data Security

All drone-collected data from DJI drone components (including photos, video, and telemetry) must be stored securely in accordance with University IT and data governance policies. Automatic cloud uploads must be disabled, and users may be required to operate in offline modes or use approved secure data-routing methods.

Please contact IRT to ensure your existing DJI drone is operated in according with these requirements.

Get IRT Support

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Want to confirm whether you can use an existing DJI or covered drone?

Contact Us

Contact Us

The federal UAS framework is changing rapidly. Please reach out early in the purchase planning process to ensure compliance with federal and campus policy.

Contact Us

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Reporting

• crashes, injuries, property damage, near misses, complaints, or lost aircraft
• unauthorized flights

Submit a Report