2 (Tied) | Arkansas

• Airspace Lease Law: 30/30 
• 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: 5/5

Factors Helping the State Score

• Airspace Lease Law: Arkansas law allows public authorities to lease low-altitude airspace above state and local roads. Such a law allows state or local officials to create drone highways above these roadways. 
• Avigation Easement Law: Arkansas 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: Arkansas law expressly provides air rights to landowners, which reduces litigation risk for drone operators because landowners know the extent of their property rights.
• Jobs Estimate: Arkansas is in the top quintile when it comes to the number of drone-related jobs per 100,000 people, receiving five out of five points.

Factors Hindering the State Score

• Task Force or Program Office: State leaders should consider convening a statewide drone task force or creating a commercial drone program office within the transportation department.
• Sandbox: Arkansas 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 Arkansas tied (with North Dakota) for the 2nd most drone-friendly state in the country.