North Carolina officials offer to help drone operators

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The N.C. Department of Transportation's Division of Aviation wants to help drone owners understand new rules issued by the Federal Aviation Administration and how they impact drone operations in the state.

The FAA unveiled new rules for drone operators on Tuesday.

Operators who received the required exemption or authorization from the FAA can continue to fly their small drones without further action. Once the new rules take effect in August, all other small drone operators will need to either obtain a Remote Pilot's Certificate from the FAA or operate the drone under supervision of someone who has the certificate.

In January, the Division of Aviation introduced a permitting process for commercial and government drone operators, who must obtain a permit before conducting commercial or government drone operations in North Carolina.

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