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New York | 2023 State Drone Scorecard
New York ranks 39th in its readiness for commercial drone services
Rank: 39
New York ranked 39th in the 2023 State Drone Commerce Scorecard rankings. The state scored 25 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
10 / 30
Airspace Lease Law
New York law allows local authorities to lease low-altitude airspace above local roads, which allows local officials to create drone highways above these roadways. However, the law is silent as to whether state officials can lease airspace above state roads.
0 / 25
Avigation Easement Law
New York 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.
0 / 20
Task Force or Program Office
State leaders should consider convening a statewide drone task force or creating a drone program office.
10 / 10
Sandbox
New York’s NUAIR program in Upstate New York 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.
0 / 10
Law Vesting Landowners with Air Rights
New York law does not expressly provide air rights to landowners, which raises litigation risk for drone operators.
5 / 5
Jobs Estimate
New York is in the top quintile when it comes to the number of drone-related jobs per 100,000 people.
How New York 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.
New York scored 25 of out 100 possible points. The top ranked state in 2023 was Arkansas, which scored 90 points.