Massachusetts Drone Delivery Freeze: 16 Lawmakers Ask Healey

Sixteen Massachusetts legislators asked Gov. Maura Healey on October 19, 2026, to create a task force on commercial drone delivery and to stop state agencies from processing certificate applications from delivery operators until it finishes. On October 22, MassDOT Aeronautics told Amazon it cannot open a drone takeoff and landing area in the state without a state certificate. Healey's office says it is "evaluating its options."

The push centers on Amazon's planned Prime Air site at 64 Otis Street in Westborough, according to DroneXL.

What the Lawmakers Are Asking For

The legislators, from Central Massachusetts and MetroWest, sent a letter to Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, and Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, with a copy to MassDOT. They make two requests:

• A task force to review commercial drone delivery in the state.
• A hold on accepting or processing certificate applications from drone delivery operators until that review ends.

The letter cites no statute. The signers include Sens. Michael Moore, Robyn Kennedy, James Eldridge, Ryan Fattman, and Peter Durant, plus 11 state representatives. According to Sen. Moore's office, the lawmakers say the state should plan where drones take off and land before approving any site.

The letter names 15 cities and towns Amazon could reach in whole or part, including Worcester, Marlborough, Shrewsbury, Hopkinton, and Northborough.

What MassDOT Told Amazon

In a letter dated October 22, MassDOT Aeronautics told Amazon that a drone takeoff and landing area needs a certificate of approval under M.G.L. c. 90, Section 39B. It said it has received no request for review from Amazon and that Amazon should expect at least one public hearing.

Under 702 CMR 5.03, the application must be filed at least 90 days before first use. Amazon said on September 23 that it still needed approvals, including a MassDOT inspection, and hoped to finish by year-end. DroneXL's reading is that a freeze on this certificate could hold the Westborough pad at the state level regardless of local zoning outcomes. That is the outlet's interpretation, not legal advice.

Background: A Growing Local Backlash

Westborough voters approved a commercial drone pad ban 510-13, though the attorney general and MassDOT Aeronautics must still sign off on it. Amazon plans to start with about six MK30 drones and several hundred daily deliveries, with a long-term goal of up to 1,000 a day.

Local steps are stacking up:

• Worcester City Council asked the city manager on October 20 to arrange a community forum with Amazon, but rejected a zoning review order.
• Westborough's Zoning Board of Appeals hears a residents' appeal on November 2, and the Planning Board resumes its site-plan hearing on November 10.
• Four members of Congress asked Amazon and the FAA for written replies by October 29 on a site-specific environmental review.

This follows three lawmakers' earlier request that Amazon pause the Westborough hub. Portland, Oregon, has also started the process for a drone hub moratorium, and Massachusetts is one of 15 states suing the FAA over environmental review of delivery drones.

What This Means for Drone Pilots

Recreational and Part 107 pilots are not directly affected. The proposal targets commercial delivery operators and their ground sites, not individual flights. The FAA's 2023 fact sheet says states have a valid interest in where aircraft operate on the ground, which is the lever Massachusetts is using. The FAA still controls airspace.

The practical takeaway is that delivery expansion now runs through state and local land-use rules as well as federal approval. If you fly commercially near a proposed hub, watch for public hearings and any new state landing-area requirements. For how the model works, see our drone delivery guide, and for the BVLOS rules behind it, read what BVLOS means.

Sources: DroneXL | Sen. Michael Moore | Boston Globe