37 | Connecticut

• Airspace Lease Law: 10/30 
• Avigation Easement Law: 0/25 
• Task Force or Program Office: 10/20 
• Law Vesting Landowners with Air Rights: 0/10 
• Sandbox: 0/10
• Jobs Estimate: 4/5

Factors Helping the State Score

• Airspace Lease Law: Connecticut law allows local authorities to lease low-altitude airspace above local roads. Such a law allows local officials to create drone highways above these roadways. However, the state did not receive full points, because the law is silent as to whether state officials can lease airspace above state roads and state property.
• Task Force or Program Office: Connecticut gets partial points because the legislature produced a one-time drone policy report in 2014. The Connecticut General Assembly produced a report giving a thorough assessment of Connecticut’s state drone policies and how state agencies are involved with regulation.
• Jobs Estimate: Connecticut is in the second quintile when it comes to the number of drone-related jobs per 100,000 people, receiving four out of five points.

Factors Hindering the State Score

• Avigation Easement Law: Connecticut law does not create an avigation easement, which means drone operators may be subject to nuisance and trespass laws, even if their drones do not disturb people on the ground.
• Law Vesting Landowners with Air Rights: Connecticut law does not expressly provide air rights to landowners, which raises litigation risk for drone operators because landowners do not know the extent of their property rights and may sue to protect their interests.
• Sandbox: Connecticut 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.

These factors make Connecticut the 37th most drone-friendly state in the country.