Drone Users To Lawmakers: ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go?'

California Governor Jerry Brown has just vetoed drone legislation passed by the California legislature that relates to a matter of significant interest to the real estate sector: Flight-level restrictions.

Real estate brokers, agricultural entities and utilities among others have increasingly used drones to photograph, monitor, or inspect properties, with new applications and hardware enhancements being introduced continuously. Clarity regarding just where and at what altitude these drones can operate is a goal easily stated, but as Governor Brown just demonstrated, it is a goal not easily achieved.

As this article is being written in early September of 2015, we have just learned that Governor Brown vetoed legislation that would have precluded the flying of drones lower than 350 feet over private property without the owner's permission. The authors of the bill said it was meant to protect Californians from Peeping Toms. Not so fast, according to drone industry