Drone policy changelog
16 recorded changes · most recent 3 September 2026.
Every dated change we track, across every jurisdiction, newest first. Entries marked proposed or pending are not law and carry no compliance obligation — they are here because a great deal of drone reporting gets that distinction wrong.
- In force United States
Section 232 tariffs take effect — 25% on consumer drones
Proclamation 11055 imposes a 100% ad valorem duty on UAS over 25 kg, thermal-imaging UAS, docking stations and listed critical components, and 25% on UAS at or below 25 kg — which covers essentially every consumer drone. Reduced caps apply to the EU, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Switzerland and the UK, conditional on certifying that substantially all critical components originate there or in the US. This is the most consumer-visible change of 2026 and it has nothing to do with aviation safety.
Source: Federal Register · 91 FR 53699 · published 19 August 2026 · verified 13 September 2026
- Pending United States
Part 108 BVLOS final rule sent to OIRA — still unpublished
Not law. This has been proposed or is under review. There is no compliance obligation until it is published.
The FAA's beyond-visual-line-of-sight final rule entered EO 12866 review on 10 July 2026 and is still listed as Pending Review. There is no effective date and no compliance deadline. Several commercial sites report the rule as finalised; they are wrong. Until it publishes, BVLOS remains available only through a Part 107 waiver, a Part 11 exemption, or the Section 927 process.
Source: OIRA (reginfo.gov) · RIN 2120-AL82 · published 10 July 2026 · verified 13 September 2026
- In force United States
State and local police gain counter-drone authority
A joint DHS/DOJ interim final rule, implementing the SAFER SKIES Act of 18 December 2025, extends detect-identify-track-warn authority — and at a higher certified tier, authority to disrupt, disable or destroy — to state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement and correctional agencies. Mitigation requires in-person training at the FBI's National Counter-UAS Training Center, pre-approved equipment, and reporting within 48 hours. In practice: your drone can now lawfully be tracked, and in defined circumstances brought down, by local agencies.
Source: Federal Register · 91 FR 41466 · published 6 July 2026 · verified 13 September 2026
- Proposed — not law United States
Proposed flight restrictions around critical infrastructure (new Part 74)
Not law. This has been proposed or is under review. There is no compliance obligation until it is published.
An FAA notice of proposed rulemaking would create 14 CFR Part 74, letting operators of qualifying fixed-site facilities request Standard or Special UAS Flight Restrictions over their sites. Comments closed 5 August 2026 after an extension. No final rule — nine years after the statutory mandate in Section 2209 of the 2016 FAA Extension Act.
Source: Federal Register · published 6 May 2026 · verified 13 September 2026
- In force United States
DETER settlement programme for first-time violators
The FAA's Drone Expedited and Targeted Enforcement Response gives a first-time violator 10 days to settle for a significantly reduced civil penalty. It is usable once, waives all rights to appeal or judicial review, and excludes TFR violations, weaponised drones, alcohol or drug offences and violations committed in furtherance of another crime.
Source: Federal Register · 91 FR 20578 · published 17 April 2026 · verified 13 September 2026
- Proposed — not law European Union
Commission action plan proposes a "Drone Security Package"
Not law. This has been proposed or is under review. There is no compliance obligation until it is published.
The European Commission presented an Action Plan on Drone and Counter-Drone Security announcing, among other things, a future package to "revamp the existing rules on civilian airborne drones", supply-chain measures and an EU Trusted Drone label. It is an action plan for discussion with member states, not legislation: as of September 2026 it has changed nothing about registration, remote ID, class marks or U-space. The direction of travel is toward tighter identification for security reasons, but nothing you must comply with has changed yet.
Source: European Commission · COM(2026) 81 final · published 11 February 2026 · verified 13 September 2026
- Enforcement United States
FAA shifts from education-first to mandatory legal enforcement
The FAA announced it will require legal action where drone operations endanger the public, violate airspace restrictions, or are conducted in furtherance of another crime. It published 18 violations from 2023–2025 with fines from $1,771 to $36,770 — the largest for interfering with wildfire emergency response — and 8 certificate suspensions or revocations in 2025.
Source: FAA · published 6 February 2026 · verified 13 September 2026
- In force European Union
Declarations under national standard scenarios cease to be valid
Article 23(4) of 2019/947 ended the transitional acceptance of operator declarations made under national standard scenarios. Specific-category operators who never migrated to STS-01/STS-02 or to an operational authorisation lost their legal basis on this date.
Source: EASA · published 30 June 2026 · verified 13 September 2026
- In force United States
FCC adds all foreign-produced drones and critical components to the Covered List
In a first-of-its-kind blanket action under the Secure Networks Act and Section 1709 of the FY2025 NDAA, the FCC added all foreign-produced UAS and UAS critical components — flight controllers, batteries, motors, communications and navigation systems — to the Covered List. The effect is prospective: covered equipment cannot receive new FCC equipment authorisations, so it cannot lawfully be imported or marketed. It does not ground, confiscate or prohibit drones already owned and authorised. DJI's petition for reconsideration and Autel's application for review are pending with no merits decision.
Source: Federal Communications Commission · DA 25-1086 · published 22 December 2025 · verified 13 September 2026
- In force European Union
SORA 2.5 adopted as the accepted means of compliance
ED Decision 2025/018/R brought the JARUS SORA 2.5 package into the AMC and guidance material for 2019/947, with a revised quantitative ground-risk table, containment treated as a distinct function, and 17 consolidated operational safety objectives. Note its legal character: this is an accepted means of compliance, not a regulation. Even so, each member state set its own SORA 2.0 acceptance window — one methodology, one regional regulator, 27 different transition calendars.
Source: EASA · ED Decision 2025/018/R · published 29 September 2025 · verified 13 September 2026
- Superseded United States
Part 108 BVLOS proposed rule published
A joint FAA/TSA notice of proposed rulemaking to normalise beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations, with a permit-and-certificate structure, a 1,320 lb weight ceiling, mandatory detect-and-avoid, and a new Part 146 for automated data service providers. Comments closed 6 October 2025 and reopened briefly in early 2026.
Source: Federal Register · 90 FR 38212 · published 7 August 2025 · verified 13 September 2026
- In force European Union
Latest binding amendments to 2019/947 and 2019/945 become applicable
Regulations (EU) 2024/1110 and 2024/1108 took effect, revising definitions, the authorisation of specific-category operations, remote pilot responsibilities under the standard scenarios, and which UAS must be certified. These remain the most recent binding amendments — nothing in 2025 or 2026 has changed the regulations themselves, only the soft law around them.
Source: EUR-Lex · (EU) 2024/1110 · published 10 April 2024 · verified 13 September 2026
- In force United States
Remote ID becomes fully enforceable
The FAA's enforcement discretion, granted because of broadcast-module supply shortages, expired. Every registered drone must now broadcast Remote ID — as a standard Remote ID aircraft, with a broadcast module, or by flying inside an FAA-Recognized Identification Area.
Source: Federal Register · published 15 September 2023 · verified 13 September 2026
- In force European Union
The transitional regime expires — legacy drones lose the A2 route
Article 22's transitional scheme ended. The widely used "under 2 kg at 50 m from people" route is gone and has not returned. What survived is Article 20: a non-class-marked drone placed on the market before this date may still be flown indefinitely — in A1 if under 250 g, and in A3 (150 m from built-up areas) if between 250 g and 25 kg. There is no legacy route into A2 at all, because A2 requires a C2 class mark. That, not a ban, is what owners actually lost.
Source: EASA · published 4 April 2022 · verified 13 September 2026
- In force Germany
§ 21h LuftVO establishes Germany's geographical zones
Germany implemented the EU framework's Article 15 discretion through § 21h of the Luftverkehrs-Ordnung, and the federal government launched dipul.de as the official information platform and map, operated with DFS.
Source: dipul (DFS / BMDV) · § 21h LuftVO · verified 13 September 2026
- In force United States
Remote ID and Operations Over People rules take effect
14 CFR Part 89 (Remote Identification) and the Operations Over People rule became effective. The latter created the four over-people categories and permitted night operations without a waiver, provided the pilot has completed the updated training and the aircraft carries anti-collision lighting visible for 3 statute miles.
Source: Federal Register · 86 FR 4390 · published 15 January 2021 · verified 13 September 2026