Washington or the States: Who Has the Authority to Regulate Commercial Drone Flights?

Commercial drone services are evolving rapidly but who regulates how and where they operate? The Federal Aviation Administration is authorized to oversee “navigable airspace.” On the other hand, drones fly low to the ground which would implicate property rights, which are governed by state laws. How might these regulatory issues be assessed and resolved, and how could they affect the future of drone technology and usage?

Brent Skorup is a Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.


Differing Views:

Brent Skorup

Legal Fellow

Center for Constitutional Studies, Cato Institute


Emerging Technology

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