26 (Tied) | Indiana

• Airspace Lease Law: 0/30 
• Avigation Easement Law: 25/25  
• Task Force or Program Office: 0/20 
• Law Vesting Landowners with Air Rights: 10/10 
• Sandbox: 0/10
• Jobs Estimate: 2/5

Factors Helping the State Score

Avigation Easement Law: Indiana law creates an avigation easement, which means drone operators are protected from nuisance and trespass laws as long as their drones do not disturb people on the ground.

Law Vesting Landowners with Air Rights: Indiana law expressly provides air rights to landowners, which reduces litigation risk for drone operators because landowners know the extent of their property rights.

Factors Hindering the State Score

• Airspace Lease Law: Indiana law does not allow public authorities to lease low-altitude airspace above state and local roads. An airspace lease law would allow state or local officials to create drone highways above these roadways.
• Task Force or Program Office: State leaders should consider convening a statewide drone task force or creating a drone program office within the transportation department.
• Sandbox: Indiana does not have a drone sandbox. State officials should consider dedicating state facilities and airspace to commercial drone testing and should have a prominent, open invitation for drone companies to test their hardware and services.
• Jobs Estimate: Indiana is in the fourth quintile when it comes to the number of drone-related jobs per 100,000 people, receiving two out of five points.

These factors make Indiana tied (with Hawaii and Idaho) for the 26th most drone-friendly state in the country.