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Ohio | 2023 State Drone Scorecard
Ohio ranks 20th in its readiness for commercial drone services
Rank: 20 (tied)
Ohio tied with Michigan for 20th place in the 2023 State Drone Commerce Scorecard rankings. The state scored 41 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
Ohio law allows state authorities to lease low-altitude airspace above state roads, which allows state officials to create drone highways above these roadways. However, the law is silent as to whether local officials can lease airspace above local roads.
0 / 25
Avigation Easement Law
Ohio 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 program office—the Ohio Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Center—which is an initiative created and overseen by the Ohio Department of Transportation. The program office is researching and considering the creation of drone highways in aerial corridors above Interstate 71.
10 / 10
Sandbox
The Ohio Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Center and Springfield–Beckley Municipal Airport offer airspace access to drone companies, are affiliated with the state transportation department, and have a prominent, open invitation to drone companies to test their services.
0 / 10
Law Vesting Landowners with Air Rights
Ohio law does not expressly provide air rights to landowners, which raises litigation risk for drone operators.
1 / 5
Jobs Estimate
Ohio is in the bottom quintile when it comes to the number of drone-related jobs per 100,000 people.
How Ohio 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.
Ohio scored 41 of out 100 possible points. The top ranked state in 2023 was Arkansas, which scored 90 points.