Snapshot: State Landscape.

• Author: Kitch, Ann

Almost every state has a law or regulation pertaining to the operation of unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, as most people know them. But lawmakers are still examining the implications of their use.

The Federal Aviation Administration has jurisdiction of federal airspace, but state lawmakers are addressing drones in areas generally understood to be under their jurisdiction. Since 2013, at least 41 states have enacted drone-related laws or regulations, or both. Using guidelines such as the FAA's 2015 fact sheet on state and local government regulation, states have addressed privacy issues and criminal penalties for drone misuse, commercial and government drone operations, and recreational drone use.

Twenty-seven states have enacted privacy-related measures, including warrant requirements for drone use by law enforcement agencies. Nineteen states require officials to obtain warrants to use drones for video surveillance or to conduct searches.

States have also addressed potential privacy violations committed by nongovernmental operators, including peeping Toms. Fourteen states offer privacy protections from other citizens, but lawmakers continue to grapple with the criminal penalties associated with these and other...