Washington, DC (CNN Business) UPS is one step closer to making drone deliveries nationwide.

On Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced it had granted UPS a certificate to operate limited drone delivery services across the United States.

Over the past six months, UPS has already made 1,100 medical sample deliveries at a Raleigh, North Carolina, hospital under a government pilot program. The deliveries travel 150 meters from one hospital location to another. Now UPS plans to expand to more than 20 hospitals over the next two years.

Even so, significant barriers remain before UPS can deliver packages to your home — or make drone deliveries a meaningful business. The FAA is still developing critical rules for drone delivery, including a way for authorities to remotely identify drones.

Read More