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Minnesota | 2023 State Drone Commerce Scorecard
Minnesota ranks seventh in its readiness for commercial drone services
Rank: 7
Minnesota placed seventh in the 2023 State Drone Commerce Scorecard rankings. The state scored 66 out of 100 possible points in how prepared it is for commercial drone services.
Contributing Factor Scores
10 / 30
Airspace Lease Law
Minnesota law allows state authorities to lease low-altitude airspace above trunk highways, which allows state officials to create drone highways above these roadways. However, the law is silent as to whether local officials can lease airspace above local roads and whether airspace above non-trunk highways can be leased.
25 / 25
Avigation Easement Law
Minnesota 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.
20 / 20
Task Force or Program Office
The state has a drone program office in the Office of Aeronautics that provides guidance to commercial users and local officials.
0 / 10
Sandbox
Minnesota does not have a drone sandbox. State officials should consider dedicating state facilities and airspace to commercial drone testing.
10 / 10
Law Vesting Landowners with Air Rights
Minnesota law expressly provides air rights to landowners, which reduces litigation risk for drone operators.
1 / 5
Jobs Estimate
Minnesota is in the bottom quintile when it comes to the number of drone-related jobs per 100,000 people.
How Minnesota Scored Relative to Its Peers
Commercial drone-readiness scores vary across the nation. To give state leaders and residents insight into how their state compares, we have provided the scores of four state peers. In this case, these peers are selected because of their geographic and political similarities.
Minnesota scored 66 of out 100 possible points. The top ranked state in 2023 was Arkansas, which scored 90 points.