The new federal rules on the commercial use of small drones will preempt most but not necessarily all state and local laws on the operation of such drones or the qualifications required of their operators. State and local laws, ordinances and courts will continue to address specific issues. They will also continue to define the personal and property rights that drone operations can easily violate. Construction contractors therefore need to go beyond the new federal “rules of the road.” They also need a basic understanding of federal preemption and the personal and property rights that states and localities will insist that drone operations respect. And they are already asking whether they can keep either government agencies or special interest groups from flying drones over their jobsites. This AGC program will cover all of the above!
