United States

Drone policy, incidents, and industry news across the United States — from statehouses to the national airspace.

2,853

Articles

190

Beats covered

Reporters on beat

Nov 10

Last updated

US drone news covers the federal, state and local layers separately, because a Washington DC tariff decision and a city council’s first drone purchase move on completely different timelines and neither one explains the other.

At the federal level, the White House summoned 40 drone companies as a tariff deadline and Beijing loomed, and the DJI restrictions keep tightening: DJI is offering college students cash and free gear even as the FCC blocks its new drones from certification, a company betting on brand loyalty while it fights for market access. The FAA desk and Department of Defense desk track the rulemaking and contracts driving all of it.

States are moving on their own timelines. Washington’s commercial drone fee jumped 10x to $150 after a jet tax repeal, a state-level cost increase with nothing to do with federal policy. New York, California, Texas and Florida carry the most dedicated coverage of any states, reflecting where drone legislation, police adoption and industry activity concentrate.

Underneath the policy fights, the effect on working pilots is direct: DJI ban coverage on pilots asking whether their businesses survive is not abstract, it is operators making real supply decisions right now. Every US story, federal to local, is in the feed below.

Key facts

What this covers: Drone news across the United States, from federal policy fights to state legislation to individual city drone programs
Biggest state desks: New York, California, Texas and Florida each carry the most dedicated coverage of any US state
The live fight: Tariffs, the DJI restrictions and state-by-state commercial drone fees are moving fast enough to change week to week

Start here

White House Summons 40 Drone Companies As Tariff Deadline And Beijing Loom — August 20, 2026
Washington Commercial Drone Fees Jump 10x to $150 After Jet Tax Repeal — August 25, 2026
DJI Ban Hits Home: Drone Pilots Ask Whether Their Businesses Survive — August 20, 2026

Last updated November 10, 2026 — the feed below updates with every new story.

Small black Ring Drone Cam with caged propellers, a camera and two LED lights hovering above its white Ring charging dock on a wood floor

United States · Ring Drone Cam

Ring's $250 Drone Cam Finally Ships January 27, Pending FCC Approval

Ring's $249.99 Drone Cam ships January 27, six years after the Always Home Cam reveal, pending FCC authorization under the Covered List rules.

Haye KestelooNov 105 min read

A black hexacopter with an orange top cover flies against a blue sky during NASA UAS traffic management research flights

FAA

FAA Touts 2.2 Million UTM Drone Flights at AUVSI. Part 108 Still Waits

At AUVSI the FAA cited 2.2 million deconflicted UTM flights and a type certification rethink, but gave no date for the Part 108 BVLOS rule.

Haye KestelooNov 10

White HOVERAir VERSA with its caged Flight Kit attached, hovering just above an open palm against a dark blue background

Technology

HOVERAir VERSA Goes On Sale In Europe And Canada, But Not The US

HOVERAir's VERSA flying camera goes on sale today from €499. Its own price sheet rules out the US, months after the FCC set aside its certification.

Haye KestelooNov 10

Skyways V2 hybrid VTOL drone flying over the sea toward a low sun, with clouds behind it

FAA

FAA Clears First Coast-to-Gulf BVLOS Flight for Skyways and Shell

The FAA cleared Skyways to fly its V2 drone from Shell's Gibson, Louisiana facility to a Gulf platform under a Section 927 waiver, not Part 108.

Haye KestelooNov 10

Phone screen in the AutoPylot app showing a Local rules nearby alert and a Rule or Permit card banning drone flights in Dana Point parks and beaches without a city permit

Drone Software

AutoPylot Maps Nearly 2,000 Local Drone Rules That LAANC Doesn't Cover

AutoPylot's Pilot Reports puts nearly 2,000 local drone rules that LAANC doesn't cover on its flight map, each with its source, and pilots can add more.

Haye KestelooNov 10

LEADERSHIP

AUVSI Hands CEO Job To Counter-Drone Executive Brett Feddersen

AUVSI names D-Fend's Brett Feddersen CEO from December 1. His testimony, his counter-drone record, and the FCC question his first statement skips.

Haye KestelooNov 10

Counter-Drone

Shield AI Bets $5.3B on Echodyne's Drone Radar at a $28.8B Valuation

Shield AI agreed to buy counter-drone radar maker Echodyne for up to $5.3 billion, raising $2.5 billion at a $28.8 billion valuation to pay for it.

Haye KestelooNov 9

A U.S. Army soldier in camouflage and sunglasses stands on the bank of a river with a black radio-frequency jammer and handheld drone detector mounted on his chest, green brush on the far bank.

Counter-Drone

DHS Pact Gives FAA Counter-Drone Review as Hegseth Calls Lasers Safe

DHS and four departments gave the FAA a safety review of new counter-drone systems, the day FEMA's chief was billed to keynote a drone grant forum.

Haye KestelooNov 9

Frequently asked questions

What is the single biggest US drone story right now?

The overlapping fights over DJI restrictions and drone tariffs. A White House meeting summoned 40 drone companies as a tariff deadline and Beijing loomed, and 100% tariffs on thermal drones landed the same month small operators started openly asking whether their DJI-built businesses survive.

Does DroneXL cover state-level drone law?

Yes, both state legislation and the local fee and permitting changes that follow it. A Washington state commercial drone fee jumping 10x to $150 after a jet tax repeal is the kind of story covered as it happens, alongside dedicated archives for the highest-activity states.

Which US states have their own archive on DroneXL?

New York, California, Texas, Florida and New Jersey currently have dedicated state pages, reflecting where drone news volume is highest. Coverage for other states exists through search and tags even without a standalone page yet.

United States

Key facts

Start here

Frequently asked questions

The drone industry moves fast. Stay ahead of it.