Earlier this year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began requiring all unmanned aircraft systems to be equipped with Remote ID technology, which makes every equipped drone uniquely identifiable to authorities, like a license plate on a car.

The FAA announced that it would provide a database that could be accessed by local law enforcement, but nearly one year later, local authorities still can’t get into it themselves.

“The FAA is working on developing Remote ID data sharing capabilities for law enforcement so they can have access to FAA registration information,” the agency said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

According to a report published in June by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the FAA has not yet provided a way for law enforcement agencies to use Remote ID technology to respond to a potential threat or investigate suspicious drone activity.

A representative from New Jersey’s Belleville Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that its officers do not have access to the FAA’s Remote ID database as the state is dealing with dozens of reported drone sightings and growing public concern about the government’s inability to provide answers.

The East Brunswick Police Department also confirmed to Fox News Digital that it was “unaware of any of the FAA databases available for Remote ID.”

The FAA did not respond to questions about whether the Remote ID database is being shared with local authorities for the ongoing investigations in New Jersey.

The GAO’s report reveals that both the FAA and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) do not have a concrete timeline for the rollout of Remote ID access for law enforcement, resulting in potential delays when authorities are trying to access real-time data regarding drone activity.

Remote ID acts as a “digital license plate” by using a broadcast signal — similar to those used by manned aircraft — to relay a drone’s registration details, coordinates and altitude.

Remote ID is typically built into the software of mainstream consumer drones or physically attached to the craft.

“As long as it has a GPS and Remote ID built into the software and into the system, it can be tracked just like any other aircraft,” James McDanolds, program chair at Sonoran Desert Institute’s School of Uncrewed Technology, told Fox News Digital.

Broadcasting the signal over radio waves, instead of the internet, would allow the signal to be accessed in areas with low internet connectivity.

Currently, local authorities must go through an FAA Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP) agent to request information regarding an incident, which would then be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Broadcasting the signal over radio waves, instead of the internet, would allow the signal to be accessed in areas with low internet connectivity.

But the FAA has acknowledged an inability to effectively handle local law enforcement’s requests to the program for Remote ID data and is requesting funding from the federal government to cover the cost of expanding.

The FAA requested $21.8 billion in funding from the federal government for the upcoming year, according to the administration’s 2025 President’s Budget Submission.

Additionally, the FAA has allotted $15.6 million of the budget for drone-related research and growth.

The FAA wants more money to hire more LEAP special agents whose jobs will focus on investigating drone activity.

The GAO’s report expressed concerns regarding the timeliness of these requests, citing the need for real-time data in potential emergency situations.

The DHS, FBI, FAA and Department of Defense on Monday issued a joint statement addressing the origins of the drones, citing the use of technology to identify the owners.

“Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,” the statement explains. “We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the Northeast.”