AZ Police Warning: It’s Illegal to Point a Laser at Aircraft!

It may seem like a harmless prank, but police in Arizona are asking you not to play around with something that could lead to serious danger: pointing a laser at an aircraft. In Arizona, it's not only dangerous, it's illegal, and can land you in serious trouble. You could even be hit with felony charges.

Why Is Pointing a Laser at Aircraft So Dangerous?

If you're amusing your cat by shining a laser pointer at the ground as she tries in vain to "catch the red dot", playing around with a laser pointer is fairly harmless.

However, aiming a laser at aircraft—especially a medical helicopter or a fighter jet—could temporarily blind the pilot, disrupt their onboard night vision optics, and even cause them to crash.

READ: Passing on the Right in Arizona: What You Need to Know

Pilots rely on specialized helmets to help them navigate in low-light conditions. Getting hit with a laser beam can interfere with the equipment. It's so serious that the Arizona Legislature has passed a law making the act of shining a laser at an aircraft a felony.

It's happened a number of times in Arizona, and it has even occurred in Sierra Vista. Lasers aimed at medical helicopters near Canyon Vista Medical Center put lives at risk, both in the air and on the ground.

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What Does Arizona Law Say About It?

Here's what the law says about aiming a laser at aircraft, according to the Arizona Revised Statutes §13-1213. This law makes it a felony to aim a laser pointer at an occupied aircraft. The severity depends on the outcome:

• Class 2 felony: If it causes a crash or emergency landing.
• Class 3 felony: If it impairs the pilot’s ability to operate safely.
• Class 6 felony: If done intentionally or knowingly without causing immediate harm.

READ: Can You Legally Fire a Gun Into the Air in Arizona?

Has Anyone Actually Been Prosecuted in Arizona?

In 2025, Glenwood Arthur Bringle of Bagdad, Arizona, was sentenced for aiming a laser at two U.S. Air Force F-16 jets during training, according to Arizona Courts Daily.

He aimed a laser at the jets' cockpits, which interfered with the pilots' visibility. Bringle was sentenced to nine days in prison and three years of supervised release. He also forfeited his right to own firearms and laser devices.

The Sierra Vista Police, Fire, and Medical Services posted about a recent incident in Sierra Vista and again asked the public not to point lasers at aircraft.