New database shows hundreds of drones in CO

As drones become more popular, a new database shows exactly where the devices are registered here in the state of Colorado.

The top three ZIP codes for drone registrations are in Parker, Littleton and Aurora.

"It’s a touchy subject because it’s so new," said Allen Bishop, President and CEO of Reference Technologies, Inc.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) required drone owners to register their products beginning in December 2015. For safety and privacy purposes, the database showing the registrations does not include names or street addresses of owners. 

"I think you can actually glean some idea on how the drones are being utilized based on those ZIP codes. You're not going to see very many of them in downtown Denver," said Bishop.

Bishop, a nationally recognized expert on drones, works with commercial applications. Although people may think of drones as a hobby, other applications include power line inspection, pipeline inspection, mapping, and agriculture.

Boulder County Open Space recently banned drones but permits are available for limited uses like research. County officials said they are being proactive but also mentioned an incident where a drone was harassing wildlife.

"They can fly pretty high, they carry cameras and in the wrong hands or a person who doesn’t show proper restraint, [they] can be used improperly -- but we believe there’s very ample rules and laws in place to take care of that," said Bishop.

Reference Technologies is donating a drone to the Boulder County Sheriff's Office and worked with the department to come up with a plan outlining when to deploy it. The drone is not in use yet.

Here's a list of top zip codes for drone registration in Colorado:

• Parker: 206 drones registered in ZIP code 80134
• Littleton: 140 drones registered in ZIP code 80127
• Aurora: 137 drones registered in ZIP code 80013
• Loveland: 129 drones registered in ZIP code 80538
• Golden: 125 drones registered in ZIP code 80401