Primary-source publishing standard
Indexable regulatory guides trace material claims to faa.gov, 14 CFR, current statutes, or official land-manager policy. Incomplete state research notes remain labeled and noindex until that work is done.
About
One clear, current place for U.S. drone rules
The U.S. drone rulebook is scattered across a dozen FAA pages, federal code, and 50 state statutes — and most sites summarizing it are stale, vague, or trying to sell you something before they answer the question. Drone Authority consolidates it into plain English, keeps it current, and gives away the tools other sites charge for: the license wizard, the location preflight desk, and a full free Part 107 study hub with a practice exam.
Drone Authority is founded and edited by Joel Kelly. The named author page, public source policy, and correction record make the responsibility behind the answers visible instead of hiding it behind a generic publication label.
Drone Authority is part of the Authority network of independent research sites, alongside Ruck Authority, Kit Authority, Sprout Authority, Aperture Authority, House Pet Authority, Stitch Authority.
Date-stamped freshness
Rules change. Every law and training page carries the date it was last reviewed, and we re-verify high-traffic pages on a recurring cycle instead of letting them rot.
Research, not a test lab
Gear ratings are editorial composites built from published specs, owner sentiment, and cross-checked reviews. We never claim hands-on testing we didn't do, and we say so on every review.
Educational, not legal advice
We make the rulebook readable; we don't replace it. Always verify current rules with the FAA before you fly, and talk to a lawyer for anything with real stakes.
How Drone Authority verifies rules
Nothing regulatory is treated as publish-ready from memory or another blog. The verification chain for every indexable rules page is: the specific FAA page or CFR section first, the state statute or land-manager policy second, and reputable secondary coverage only as a pointer back to a primary source. If we cannot yet trace a state claim to a current primary source, the page is labeled as research notes and excluded from indexing. Each law page states its source status instead of borrowing a freshness date.
News byline
Drone Authority Editorial Desk
The editorial desk publishes source-linked reports on new aircraft, FAA proposals, safety changes, and market shifts that affect U.S. drone pilots. Manufacturer claims stay attributed. Legal claims trace to the FAA, federal code, the Federal Register, or another primary government source. Every report shows its publication time, lead image source, practical pilot takeaway, and correction contact.
Editorial and correction contact: corrections@droneauthority.org
Corrections
When we get something wrong, we fix the page, update its reviewed date, and — for anything safety- or legality-relevant — note the correction on the page itself. Spot an error? Email corrections@droneauthority.org with the page URL and the source that contradicts us. Corrections with an FAA or statutory citation get fixed fastest.
How we make money
Three disclosed paths can fund the publication: affiliate commissions on gear we recommend (as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases), commissions from approved Part 107 course programs, and local aerial work performed by Tosa Marketing when a southeast Wisconsin buyer chooses that commonly owned studio. The free study hub, practice exam, provider claims, and every tool stay free either way. No commission or ownership relationship changes a national ranking. The fastest way to lose an authority site's audience is to hide the incentive behind an answer.
Last reviewed: July 12, 2026 · Start with the drone laws hub