Trade groups are estimating 400K drones or so might get sold in this year’s holiday season. If you’re one of them, you might want to consider what new laws the Federal Aviation Administration might put in place before buy. After all, what good is your new awesome drone if you can’t fly it.
You Might Need To Register As a Drone Owner
Yes, you heard that correct. Proposed new recommendations require that most drone owners are going to have to register their machines with the federal government. Maybe this isn’t too big of deal to you, but worth considering that you will be in a national drone owner database.
Drone’s Registration Numbers for Each Machine
You might also have to display and obtain a registration number on you machine. Think of this like a license plate for your car and consider that if you buy many drones their may or may not be a cost associated to this.
More Regulations Coming
The explosion in popularity of new drones has caught a lot of regulators off guard and this widespread use has caused concern over drafting effective legislation. New laws and proposals are being considered but are sure to grow in number and complexity over time. Keep this in mind as you do your holiday shopping season or if you are considering buying a drone as a gift this Christmas.
Read more in this great NYT Article on Drones and Drone Regulations