States have begun drafting rules to regulate the use of drones to counter federal inaction, but it might lead to conflict when the federal government passes its own set of regulation.
Until federal oversight has developed a set of rules, it has relied on more than 1,000 exemptions to cover the gap, according to Route Fifty.
California has passed restrictions (awaiting the governor’s signature to make it law) to strengthen privacy protections. California is one of 26 states who have rules and regulations concerning the use of drones. North Dakota has gone in the opposite direction of California, allowing law-enforcement agencies to weaponize drones.
State laws have dealt with privacy concerns, police use, and agricultural use for the most part. The laws have been patchy more than all-encompassing.
By 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration should have rules finalized for commercial drone use.
Technology companies such as Amazon and Google have been following state and federal developments closely. The speed at which the FAA wants to have rules finalized partially comes from pressure to get commercial use approved and cleared.
Until rules get finalized, and then contradictions between state and federal law get sorted out, the ambiguity will slow innovation for tech companies and drones will get shot out of the air.
