Sarah Nilsson, JD, PhD, MAS

Maryland (MD) UAS Law

Maryland

VISUALIZE IT: See FAA UAS DATA on a MAP

UAS in the State of Maryland Report

Md. Economic Development Code Ann. § 14-301

§ 14-301. Unmanned Aircraft Systems

(a) Definitions. --

(1) In this section the following words have the meanings indicated.

(2) "Unmanned aircraft" means the flying portion of an unmanned aircraft system, flown by a pilot via a ground control system, or autonomously through use of an onboard computer, a communication link, and any additional equipment that is necessary for the unmanned aircraft to operate safely.

(3) "Unmanned aircraft system" means an unmanned aircraft and all the associated support equipment, control stations, data links, telemetry, communications and navigation equipment, and other equipment necessary to operate the unmanned aircraft.

(b) Regulation. -- Only the State may enact a law or take any other action to prohibit, restrict, or regulate the testing or operation of unmanned aircraft systems in the State.

(1) preempts the authority of a county or municipality to prohibit, restrict, or regulate the testing or operation of unmanned aircraft systems; and

(2) supersedes any existing law or ordinance of a county or municipality that prohibits, restricts, or regulates the testing or operation of unmanned aircraft systems.

(d) Federal preemption. -- This section does not affect federal preemption of State law.

Drones in the news

April 2020 - Sheriff’s office receives drones for coronavirus response

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Bill History

Where just the name of the bill or resolution is hyperlinked in black that means that it is not yet law!

Note that bills that are now law are changed to blue font

In 2013, Maryland's Legislature, through House Bill (HB) 100, appropriated $500,000 for the state's unmanned aerial system test site.

House Bill (HB) 620 (download below) was introduced and read for the first time on February 12, 2015. It is a bill entitled, An Act Concerning Crimes – Unmanned Aircraft Systems – Unauthorized Surveillance. (Not yet law!)

hb0100E.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [2.4 MB]

hb0620f.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [89.1 KB]

The governor of Maryland signed Senate Bill (SB) 370 (download below) into law, Chapter 164, which went into effect on July 1, 2015. This is a bill entitled, An Act concerning Unmanned Aircraft Systems Research, Development, Regulation, and Privacy Act of 2015.

SB 370 specifies that only the state can enact laws to prohibit, restrict, or regulate the testing or operation of unmanned aircraft systems. This preempts county and municipal authority. The bill also requires a study on specified benefits.

sb0370f.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [102.8 KB]

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Sarah Nilsson, J.D., Ph.D., MAS

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