Drone Laws
Drones sit at a complicated legal intersection. They are aircraft. They are computers. They fly in navigable airspace, but get much closer to our homes, schools, and businesses than jumbo jets or even helicopters. Federal, state, and local governments in the United States have attempted to balance the certain usefulness and potential dangers posed by drones in a variety of ways.
Please use this page to educate yourself, but understand that these descriptions are not legal advice. If you have questions, click "Get in Touch" above for a free consultation.
There are approximately six categories of drones each with their own sets of regulations:
-
Model Aircraft
-
Micro Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MicroUAS, < 0.5 pounds)
-
Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS, 0.5 - 55 pounds)
-
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS, including those > 55 pounds)
-
State Unmanned Aircraft Systems
-
Military Unmanned Aircraft Systems (or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)
This page only addresses types 1-4.
Model Aircraft
...
Federal
State
There are approximately six categories of drones each with their own sets of regulations:
-
Model Aircraft
-
Micro Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MicroUAS, < 0.5 pounds)
-
Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS, 0.5 - 55 pounds)
-
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS, including those > 55 pounds)
-
State Unmanned Aircraft Systems
-
Military Unmanned Aircraft Systems (or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)
This page only addresses types 1-4.
Model Aircraft
...
Local
The following analysis of Lincoln, Nebraska's "Drone Ordinance" originally appeared as a blog post on May 1, 2017.
Soft Law
There are approximately six categories of drones each with their own sets of regulations:
-
Model Aircraft
-
Micro Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MicroUAS, < 0.5 pounds)
-
Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS, 0.5 - 55 pounds)
-
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS, including those > 55 pounds)
-
State Unmanned Aircraft Systems
-
Military Unmanned Aircraft Systems (or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)
This page only addresses types 1-4.
Model Aircraft
...