Rising Drone Use and Skepticism Bring Potential Implications for Local Governments

While drones become more common in public service delivery, two federal executive orders could effect costs and sourcing options for programs currently underway. 

Drone use by state and local governments has surged in recent years, with agencies deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for public safety, environment monitoring, infrastructure assessments, medical responses and more. Maryland is no exception, with state and local governments using these devices to enhance service delivery for residents. Most applications started in the public safety sector but have quickly branched out to other uses as new programs are explored. 

A recent Govtech article highlighted new activations across dozens of states, nothing that Michigan recently passed legislation with a $7.5M commitment to build out drone programs. From the report:

An omnibus bill passed in Michigan last fall that allocates $7.5 million for the “implementation of aerial mobility and drone infrastructure projects, including drone hubs, drone ports and last-mile delivery.”

In Maryland, a number of bills have attempted to put guardrails on how the government and residents are using drones. To date, three bills have passed that do a handful of different things including:

  • limit local governments from establishing any laws that govern the use of drones
  • prohibit the unauthorized flying of a drone over a detention center
  • prohibit the acquisition of an armored or armed drone by law enforcement

Recent bills that have not passed were looking to narrow the uses for law enforcement and prohibit and penalize the use of drones by the public for harassment or surveilling people in their homes.

As more uses continue to develop, questions about sourcing have dominated public discussion. Concerns about privacy and domestic threats from international manufacturers has sparked a debate at the federal level, including two executive orders both seeking to boost domestic manufacturing and exporting of US made drones – Unleashing American Drone Dominance and Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty. Some state-level restrictions on sourcing have already gone into place with Nevada now controlling which drones agencies may buy, Mississippi requiring US-made machines, and Florida and Arkansas prohibiting public use of drones purchased through some international manufacturers. Other security concerns arose late last year, when a number of drone and other unidentified object sightings sparked requests from state lawmakers for a federal investigation and some agency leaders advocating for local authorities to be granted power to disable unauthorized drones.

With drone use becoming increasingly common in Maryland, a panel of experts will discuss applications for state and local governments in a session titled, “There’s a Drone for That: Streamlining Public Services with Aerial Assistance,” at the 2025 MACo Summer Conference. This session will be be held at the Roland Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, MD on Friday, August 15, 2025 from 2:15 – 3:15 pm. The conference runs from August 13-16. This year’s theme is “Funding the Future.” More information can be found on our conference website.

Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference: