Gov. Kathy Hochul delivers the 2026 State of the State Address on Tuesday. (Photo courtesy Office of Governor Kathy Hochul/Darren McGee)

ALBANY — Gov. Kathy Hochul will propose a plan to update the state’s laws on drones, aligning New York with new federal regulations and opening up opportunities for the drone manufacturing industry.

As part of her 2026 State of the State agenda, Hochul is proposing a three-pronged approach to the issue of unmanned aerial vehicles, more commonly called drones.

First, Hochul wants to unify state laws and agency regulations regarding the use of drones and where they may be flown, with the goal of restricting use around schools, bridges, sensitive infrastructure and large public gatherings. Hochul also wants these laws to permit safe testing of counter-drone technologies, so defense companies can undertake research and development efforts in New York.

At the same time, Hochul wants to spin up a pilot program within the New York State Police, allowing officers to use drones in limited situations to survey crime scenes and respond to emergencies.

Hochul’s plan would also put New York into compliance with the Safer Skies Act, a federal law passed as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act originally written by U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy, R-Buffalo. Under that law, state and local law enforcement agencies are permitted to police drones, which are normally regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration, once they’ve completed a federal training program involving multiple agencies.

“As technology evolves and the threat landscape changes, so must our approach to threat detection and response,” Hochul said in a statement to the Watertown Daily Times. “I have previously called for a national strategy to defend against nefarious drones, and absent federal government action, I’m proposing a comprehensive strategy to prevent dangerous and inappropriate drone use while ensuring law enforcement is fully equipped to use drones to protect our communities. We will always ensure that we have every tool at our disposal to keep New Yorkers safe and secure.”

State drone laws are currently somewhat mixed. They restrict the flying of drones on state park property without pre-approval from the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and regulations issued by the various state agencies and authorities restrict drone use in their respective areas of control to varying degrees.

Under the old federal laws, state and local law enforcement were barred from interfering with a drone’s operation in almost all situations. Under the new laws, only agencies that have taken the federal training course will be permitted to take drones out of the sky.