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Maryland | 2023 State Drone Commerce Scorecard
Maryland ranks eighth in its readiness for commercial drone services
Rank: 8 (tied)
Maryland tied with Massachusetts for eighth place in the 2023 State Drone Commerce Scorecard rankings. The state scored 59 out of 100 possible points in how prepared it is for commercial drone services.
The Six Factors Contributing to the Overall Score
A Score in Gray Indicates a Score Below the Median of All States
0 / 30
Airspace Lease Law
Maryland 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.
25 / 25
Avigation Easement Law
Maryland 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.
10 / 20
Task Force or Program Office
The Maryland General Assembly created a temporary task force in 2015.
10 / 10
Sandbox
Maryland’s drone center at Salisbury Regional Airport offers airspace access to drone companies, is affiliated with the state transportation department, and has a prominent, open invitation to drone companies to test their services.
10 / 10
Law Vesting Landowners with Air Rights
Maryland law expressly provides air rights to landowners, which reduces litigation risk for drone operators.
4 / 5
Jobs Estimate
Maryland is in the second quintile when it comes to the number of drone-related jobs per 100,000 people.
How Maryland 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.
Maryland scored 59 of out 100 possible points. The top ranked state in 2023 was Arkansas, which scored 90 points.