Drone policy changelog
31 recorded changes · most recent 16 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.
- Pending China
Beijing adopts citywide ban on flying, owning and storing drones — in force 15 November 2026
Not law. This has been proposed or is under review. There is no compliance obligation until it is published.
Beijing's municipal legislature revised the Beijing Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aircraft. From 15 November 2026 all drone flight in Beijing is prohibited, as are possessing or storing drones or their core components anywhere in the city, bringing them into the city, and selling or renting them to anyone in Beijing. Units with approved special needs (emergency response, major events, teaching and research, manufacturing, agriculture and forestry) are exempt after a police security assessment. Existing drones must be moved out of the city before 15 November. The city offers police-verified individual owners a subsidised buyback (30% of the sale price, up to CNY 3,000 per drone, until 31 October; 15%, up to CNY 1,500, from 1 to 14 November), scrapping (CNY 200, then CNY 100), or free EMS shipping to an address outside Beijing. Unapproved flight carries confiscation and a CNY 1,000–10,000 fine; unlawful possession or storage carries confiscation and a fine of CNY 500–5,000 for individuals or CNY 5,000–50,000 for organisations. This is a municipal rule and applies only in Beijing.
Source: Beijing Municipal People's Government · Beijing Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aircraft, revised 11 September 2026, Arts. 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12 · verified 22 September 2026
- Pending United States
FCC order makes online marketplaces show FCC IDs — rule effective 13 October 2026, display required from 2027
Not law. This has been proposed or is under review. There is no compliance obligation until it is published.
The FCC's Third Report and Order in its equipment-authorisation security proceeding (FCC 26-50, adopted 22 July 2026) takes effect on 13 October 2026. It applies to radio devices generally, drones included. It confirms that an online marketplace which lists and also warehouses, fulfils or bills for a third-party product is "marketing" it, and it requires marketplaces to show a device's FCC ID at the online point of sale. The display duty has its own later compliance dates — 1 March 2027 for marketplaces that sell their own stock or take possession of or title to the device, 1 June 2027 for marketplaces relying on seller certification — and excludes used devices, listings by sellers below the INFORM Consumers Act high-volume threshold, and listings published before 13 October and not later updated. The order's new ban on devices containing logic-bearing components from Covered List entities does not apply to the country-of-production drone entry unless the producer is itself named on the Covered List.
Source: Federal Register · 91 FR 57798 · published 11 September 2026 · verified 22 September 2026
- 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
- Proposed — not law United States
FCC proposes ending imports and sales of Anzu Robotics drones already authorised
Not law. This has been proposed or is under review. There is no compliance obligation until it is published.
A public notice from the same two FCC bureaus (DA 26-832, PS Docket 26-184) proposes to prohibit the continued importation and marketing of equipment already authorised but covered by the December 2025 Covered List action — naming Anzu Robotics, LLC and its affiliates and partners, and two authorisations in particular (FCC IDs 2BBYS-RAPTOR and 2BBYS-RRC01). The basis is section 1709 of the FY2025 NDAA: equipment produced under a technology-sharing or licensing agreement with a named entity, manufactured abroad. Federal government use, and commercial testing and product development, would be excluded, and equipment already bought could still be operated; importing and marketing would have to stop 30 days after any prohibition is published. Comments closed on 23 September 2026. This is the narrower, company-specific companion to the "military-grade" proposal in PS Docket 26-189.
Source: Federal Register · 91 FR 54713 · published 24 August 2026 · verified 24 September 2026
- Proposed — not law United States
FCC proposes ending imports and sales of "military-grade" foreign drones already on the market
Not law. This has been proposed or is under review. There is no compliance obligation until it is published.
Two FCC bureaus (Public Safety and Homeland Security, and Engineering and Technology) propose to stop the continued importation and marketing of foreign-produced drones and drone components on the Covered List that fall into seven "military-grade" categories, even where the model was authorised before December 2025: aircraft of 55 lb (25 kg) or more at take-off; aircraft able to dispense pesticides ("economic poison"); aircraft with thermal-imaging or LiDAR sensors; docking stations; aircraft designed to incorporate a defence article; and swarming systems, a category the notice says includes aircraft built for multi-drone light shows. Excluded: domestically produced equipment, Blue UAS Cleared List items, domestic end products, Conditional Approvals, sales for federal government use, and commercial testing. Drones already bought could still be used and operated. The proposed cut-off is 180 days after the prohibition, if adopted, is published in the Federal Register. Comments (PS Docket 26-189, DA 26-758) closed 2 September 2026; no decision had appeared in the Federal Register as of 22 September 2026.
Source: Federal Register · 91 FR 48870 · published 3 August 2026 · verified 22 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 China
Beijing makes the whole city controlled airspace and bans drone sales
Beijing's first drone regulation, adopted on 27 March 2026, made the entire municipality controlled airspace, so every outdoor flight needs prior approval. It banned selling or renting drones and core components to anyone in Beijing, and bringing them into the city, except by owners of existing drones that had completed real-name registration and a police information check. Existing owners had to register and activate their drones by 30 April 2026 and complete the police check within three months. New storage sites were banned inside the Sixth Ring Road; more than three drones or ten core components at one address counted as a storage site. This is a municipal rule and applies only in Beijing. The 15 November 2026 revision replaces it.
Source: Xinhua · Xinhua report on the adoption of the Beijing Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aircraft · published 27 March 2026 · verified 22 September 2026
- In force China
National standard requires registration before a drone can be activated
A mandatory national standard, Requirements for Real-Name Registration and Activation of Civil Unmanned Aircraft, took effect. It applies to every civil drone flown outdoors in China, including self-built drones and products sold as toys or models whose performance reaches civil-drone level. A drone cannot fly until its owner has registered it and the system has confirmed activation, and it must be deactivated and deregistered when it is sold or scrapped. New drones must comply from 1 May 2026. Drones already sold and in use have a 12-month transition, after which drones that do not meet the requirements may no longer be flown.
Source: Civil Aviation Administration of China · CAAC explanatory note on the mandatory national standard for real-name registration and activation · published 21 April 2026 · verified 22 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 China
CAAC operating rules for civil drones (CCAR-92) take effect
The CAAC's Rules on the Operational Safety Management of Civil Unmanned Aircraft (CCAR-92) took effect on publication. They require every civil drone flying in China to be registered in its owner's real name on the CAAC's national platform. They require manufacturers to build drones that can only be activated after registration. They also set out the operator licence system, including the BVLOS rating.
Source: Civil Aviation Administration of China · Ministry of Transport Order No. 1 of 2024 (CCAR-92) · published 1 January 2024 · verified 22 September 2026
- In force China
Interim Regulations on the Flight Management of Unmanned Aircraft take effect
The first national regulations on drone flight, issued by the State Council and the Central Military Commission, took effect. They sort drones into micro, light, small, medium and large classes, with micro meaning under 0.25 kg empty weight, at most 50 m high and at most 40 km/h. They require real-name registration and set operator licences for small and larger drones. They define controlled airspace, including everything above 120 m, which needs approval requested by 12:00 the day before, and let micro, light and small drones fly without applying outside it. They also require drones to report and broadcast identification data.
Source: Civil Aviation Administration of China · State Council and Central Military Commission Decree No. 761, signed 31 May 2023 · published 28 June 2023 · verified 22 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