Pilot reports of laser strikes reached 12,840 last year in the U.S., a 3% decline from 2023 but a number that the FAA still calls “dangerously high.” The FAA has long campaigned to discourage people from shining lasers at aircraft, warning that it poses a serious threat to safety and is a federal crime. Pilots have reported 328 injuries from such events since the agency began tracking laser strikes in 2010, the FAA noted.

In 2024, the most laser strike reports unsurprisingly came from some of the most populous states, with California leading the way at 1,489. This was followed closely by Texas at 1,463, then Florida (810), Tennessee (649), Illinois (622), Arizona (550), New York (531), Indiana (512), Georgia (416), and Virginia (415).

Under federal law, the FAA can impose fines of up to $11,000 per laser strike and $30,800 for multiple violations. This comes in addition to other federal criminal penalties that could include up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, along with state and local penalties.

The FAA has developed multiple online and other resources on this topic, including a visualization tool that depicts current-year incidents (1,799 thus far in 2025), daily average occurrences (30.5), and other key information.