Review of the current state of UAV regulations

Stöcker, C., Bennett, R., Nex, F., Gerke, M., & Zevenbergen, J. · 2017

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This 2017 comparison shows that national UAV rules shared a purpose but differed substantially in content. It remains a record of a period when regulation had not converged. It must not be used as a commentary on current law. The article-by-article comparison was not repeated.

The shared goal of the rules is described as limiting risk to other airspace users and to people and property on the ground. Across that shared goal, the variables compared still differ clearly. Besides statutes, industry standards and public information are expected to shape later frameworks.

The map is as of May 2017. It does not include the 2019 EU regulations, Japan’s Level 4 regime, or China’s 2024 interim regulation. Do not treat a country’s category names from that paper as today’s categories.