The Top Ranked State for Drones May Surprise You: the Mercatus Center 2023 Scorecard

While the FAA has authorized pilot programs for companies like Amazon, UPS, and USPS, all of whom are fighting for a portion of the estimated $30 billion home delivery market, the US commercial drone space is still years away from broad regulatory and consumer acceptance across the United States. Adding to the regulatory confusion is the problem of FAA preemption, and the rapid proliferation of state and local drone regulations.

A recent study from George Mason University’s Mercatus Center has revealed some new insights into the “state” (pun intended) of UAV regulations and policies across the nation at the state level, revealing key information on which state governments are most prepared for the future of commercial drone operations.

The new study rates all 50 states on six differently-weighted factors. The most heavily weighted (30/100 possible points) is the existence of an airspace lease law, allowing the creation of flight corridors directly above public…