Vermont Commercial Drone Operations Federally Preempted

Commercial unmanned aircraft operators must hold an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate under 14 CFR Part 107, register their aircraft, and follow operational rules including visual line of sight, altitude limits, and waiver requirements for night, beyond-visual-line-of-sight, and over-people operations. Vermont law under 20 V.S.A. Section 4622 governs government drone use, and Vermont privacy and trespass law applies to commercial operators capturing images. Municipalities cannot license commercial drone operators or regulate flight altitude, but may control take-off, landing, and operations on municipally owned land. Critical infrastructure operators may face additional state and federal restrictions.

Operating without certification, violating Part 107 rules, or capturing imagery without consent in protected contexts can lead to FAA fines, certificate suspension, and Vermont civil claims.