Are drones illegal in your state? This map can tell you.
June 25, 2014, 10:37 AM ET
As the federal government decides how to regulate drones in the U.S., states are moving on their own. Check out the status of drone legislation in your state here.
There is currently no federal regulation of unmanned aircraft, but Congress passed a law two years ago ordering the FAA to issue national rules legalizing drones for commercial purposes by September 2015.
In 2011, the FAA penalized drone videographer Rapheal Pirker $10,000 for using a drone. Pirker challenged the fine, and a federal administrative-law judge overturned the penalty, saying there was no law banning the commercial use of small drones.
The FAA on Monday released its interpretation of rules for model aircraft after recent incidents involving reckless use of drones. The FAA states that hobby or recreational flying doesn’t require FAA approval, but recommends following their safety guidelines, which encourage contacting the airport operator when flying within 5 miles of an airport, not flying near manned aircraft or beyond the operator’s line of sight. It also specifies model aircraft as weighing fewer than 55 lbs.
The rules are similar to guidelines of Model Aircraft Operating Standards, released by the FAA on June 9, 1981. Model aircraft operators were encouraged to voluntarily comply with the standards, which include not flying higher than 400 feet and notifying the airport operator when operating within 3 miles of an airport.
-Sally French