A comprehensive resource for safe and responsible laser use

To report an incident

If you see a laser being used in an unsafe manner around aircraft or vehicles, notify local authorities first. This is an urgent matter, so dial the emergency number (911 in the U.S.) of your local police department.

In the United States


The Federal Aviation Administration has a web page where you can report a laser incident. The same information is reprinted below, in a different format with some additional details. Send your reports via email to FAA at LaserReports@faa.gov or fax to 202-267-5289.

For the general public

  • Your name and contact information
  • Date and time you witnessed the incident
  • Your viewing location
  • Apparent location or source of the laser beam (What direction? How far away?)
  • If the aircraft was landing or taking off, what is the name of the airport?
  • Color of the laser beam
  • Apparent power of the beam (Very visible? Visible only as a dot on objects?)
  • How the laser was used (Deliberate targeting of aircraft? Accidental illumination?)
  • Duration of the laser use
  • Whether you saw the laser illuminate the aircraft
  • Any change or action taken by the aircraft
After your email or fax is received, FAA staff or the appropriate law enforcement organization will contact you to follow up.

For pilots


If you are a pilot who experiences or sees a laser incident while in the air, report it on the assigned frequency, or on an appropriate frequency. Once you have reached the ground, fill out and file the Laser Beam Exposure Questionnaire included in FAA Advisory Circular 70-2, “Reporting of Laser Illumination of Aircraft”. Items to report include:
  • Your name and telephone
  • Date and time of the incident (UTC)
  • Aircraft call sign, tail number and type
  • Location
  • Aircraft altitude and heading
  • Laser color
  • Approximate bearing and distance of laser origin from aircraft
  • Cockpit illuminated?
  • Any flight crew injuries or effects?

Unsafe laser shows


For information on reporting unsafe laser light shows and displays in the U.S., visit this page at ILDA’s LasershowSafety.info website.


In South Africa


Send information to the Civil Aviation Authority via email to cahrs@caa.co.za or via fax to 011 545 1453.


In Canada


For Canadian aircraft incidents, notify the CAA. For other incidents such as eye exposure, use the Health Canada Consumer Product Incident Report Form