Shooting a drone out of the sky is illegal based on federal laws, even if it is within private property. It is also illegal to throw anything at the drone in an attempt to knock it out of the sky. When this happens, it is imperative to inform your local law enforcement and local FAA Flight Standards Office (FSDO).

While physically possible, throwing a rock at a drone is legally hazardous and potentially a federal crime in many jurisdictions. In the United States, the FAA classifies drones as "aircraft." Under 18 U.S. Code § 32, damaging or destroying an aircraft is a felony. Even if the drone is hovering over your private property, you generally do not have the right to use "self-help" force to down it. Doing so can lead to civil lawsuits for property damage and criminal charges for reckless endangerment, as a falling drone with lithium-polymer batteries poses a significant fire and impact risk to people on the ground. The legal recourse for a nuisance drone is to document the flight and report the pilot to local law enforcement or the FAA for violating privacy or airspace regulations, rather than engaging in physical retaliation.