State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Court strikes down measures in Massachusetts city drone ordinance

American City and County: The U.S. District Court for the district of Massachusetts has struck down several measures of a drone ordinance from Newton, Mass, creating implications for local governments seeking to create drone regulations.

As American City & County previously reported, Newton had passed a drone ordinance on Dec. 19, 2016, that had sought to regulate drone use in its community. Just under a month after being passed, Newton resident and drone pilot Michael Singer represented himself in litigation he brought against the city, saying that certain measures of the ordinance were preempted by rules that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had implemented.

Several months later, a judge has found that the FAA’s rules indeed preempt Newton prohibitions of drone operation over private property below 400 feet in altitude (without permission of the owner), beyond the operator’s line of sight and above city property or sporting events without city permission, per court documents and Newton’s original ordinance. Additionally, the judge ruled that Newton’s requirements for drone registration with the city were unlawful.

Read article