- | 2023 State Drone Commerce Rankings 2023 State Drone Commerce Rankings
- | Feature Feature
- |
Louisiana | 2023 State Drone Commerce Scorecard
Louisiana ranks 19th in its readiness for commercial drone services
Rank: 19
Louisiana placed 19th in the 2023 State Drone Commerce Scorecard rankings. The state scored 44 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
Louisiana law allows local authorities to lease low-altitude airspace above local roads and waterways, 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
Louisiana 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.
20 / 20
Task Force or Program Office
The state has a drone task force—created in 2021 and overseen by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development—which develops statewide policy recommendations on the operation, use, and regulation of drones.
0 / 10
Sandbox
Louisiana 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
Louisiana law expressly provides air rights to landowners, which reduces litigation risk for drone operators.
4 / 5
Jobs Estimate
Louisiana is in the second quintile when it comes to the number of drone-related jobs per 100,000 people.
How Louisiana 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.
Louisiana scored 44 of out 100 possible points. The top ranked state in 2023 was Arkansas, which scored 90 points.