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Drone laws in Japan

Last verified 22 September 2026 against Civil Aviation Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Drone law changes fast — often twice a year. Every fact below links to the official source it came from. Verify with the regulator before you fly.

This page covers the rules issued by Civil Aviation Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and applying in the whole of Japan. Two separate laws apply to the same flight: the Civil Aeronautics Act (administered by MLIT) and the Small Unmanned Aircraft Flight Prohibition Act, known in English as the Drone Act (administered by the police) .

Japan registers drones from 100 g — lower than almost anywhere else — and has required Remote ID on every newly registered aircraft since registration became mandatory on 20 June 2022. Flying over populated areas, at night, beyond visual line of sight, within 30 m of people or property, over events, above 150 m or near airports needs MLIT permission or approval through DIPS 2.0, unless a licensed pilot flies a certified aircraft. A national remote pilot licence exists (Class 1 and Class 2) but is not required for most flying. Separately, the police-administered Drone Act bans flight over and around designated important facilities at any weight; since 14 July 2026 that surrounding zone is about 1,000 m, up from about 300 m.

At a glance

Registration from
100 g including the battery — every aircraft flown outdoors is registered individually through DIPS 2.0, must display its registration ID and must carry Remote ID. Registration is valid 3 years. Fees depend on the identity-check method: ¥900 (My Number Card), ¥1,450 (online with a passport or driving licence) or ¥2,400 (paper) for the first aircraft. since source
Pilot credential
No licence is needed for flying that avoids the regulated airspace and methods, or for flying under an individual MLIT permission. The national Remote Pilot Certificate (Class 1 / Class 2, 一等・二等無人航空機操縦士) is optional but lets a certified aircraft fly some regulated operations under 25 kg without applying, and Class 1 is mandatory for Level 4 flight. Knowledge test, practical test (waived after a registered training course) and medical check; minimum age 16; valid 3 years. since source
Max altitude
150 m above the ground or water surface. Higher flight needs MLIT permission and prior coordination with air traffic control; airspace within 30 m of a structure is excluded from this restriction. source
Remote ID
Mandatory (broadcast) since 20 June 2022, tied to registration. Exemptions: aircraft registered in the pre-registration period (20 December 2021 – 19 June 2022) while the registration is kept renewed, tethered flight, and flights over a specific area with measures such as assistants in place. since source
BVLOS
Needs MLIT approval, applied for through DIPS 2.0 — or no approval if a Class 2 or Class 1 pilot, with the BVLOS limitation lifted, flies a certified aircraft under 25 kg with access to the area below controlled. BVLOS over uncontrolled third parties (Level 4, Category III) needs a Class 1 certificate, a Type 1 aircraft certificate and a specific permission. since source
Can a visitor fly?
Yes, with Japanese registration — a foreign registration does not count. MLIT states that foreign visitors can use DIPS 2.0 (available in English) and that overseas residents bringing a drone of 100 g or more must register it and fit Remote ID meeting the Japanese specification before flying. Identity can be checked online with a passport plus a document showing an address (MLIT lists an international driving permit), though MLIT also says the registered address must match the certificate of residence, which visitors do not have. Any flight in regulated airspace or by a regulated method also needs permission; MLIT asks for applications at least 10 working days ahead. Drones under 100 g need no registration, but the Drone Act and local bans still apply to them. Liability insurance is recommended, and mandatory for permitted flights of 25 kg or more. source
Where you may not fly
Two separate regimes. Under the Civil Aeronautics Act, flight around airports, above 150 m, over Densely Inhabited Districts (DID) and in emergency-response airspace needs MLIT permission, and at eight major airports the airspace under the approach and transitional surfaces is also restricted. Under the Drone Act, flight at any weight is banned over designated facilities — the Diet, the Prime Minister's Office, the Imperial Palace, embassies, defence facilities, designated airports and nuclear plants among them — and over the zone about 1,000 m around them, unless an exemption applies and the police are notified 48 hours ahead. Prefectures and municipalities can add their own bans by ordinance. since source
Penalties
Civil Aeronautics Act: flying an unregistered aircraft up to 1 year's imprisonment or ¥500,000; flying in regulated airspace or by a regulated method without permission up to ¥500,000; flying under the influence of alcohol or drugs over a road, park or other public place up to 1 year or ¥300,000; failing to take required measures after an accident up to 2 years or ¥1,000,000. Drone Act: up to 1 year or ¥500,000 over a facility itself, up to 6 months or ¥500,000 over its surrounding zone, and the police may order the aircraft away or disrupt or destroy it. source

Can a visitor fly?

Yes, with Japanese registration — a foreign registration does not count. MLIT states that foreign visitors can use DIPS 2.0 (available in English) and that overseas residents bringing a drone of 100 g or more must register it and fit Remote ID meeting the Japanese specification before flying. Identity can be checked online with a passport plus a document showing an address (MLIT lists an international driving permit), though MLIT also says the registered address must match the certificate of residence, which visitors do not have. Any flight in regulated airspace or by a regulated method also needs permission; MLIT asks for applications at least 10 working days ahead. Drones under 100 g need no registration, but the Drone Act and local bans still apply to them. Liability insurance is recommended, and mandatory for permitted flights of 25 kg or more.

Policy timeline

  1. In force

    First UTM service providers receive MLIT IDs

    MLIT issued its first IDs to UTM service providers — NTT Data and KDDI Smart Drone — letting them connect to DIPS and help operators coordinate overlapping flight plans. The ID criteria were set on 31 March 2026 and are the first step of a staged rollout of unmanned traffic management; real-time tracking and designated managed airspace are later steps. Nothing changes yet for an individual flyer.

    Source: MLIT · published 16 September 2026 · verified 22 September 2026

  2. In force

    Drone Act no-fly zones around important facilities widen to about 1,000 m

    The amended Small Unmanned Aircraft Flight Prohibition Act (Act No. 47 of 2026) took effect, widening the surrounding zone (the "yellow zone") in which flight is banned from about 300 m to about 1,000 m around designated facilities. It also added places where designated protected dignitaries are present and international conference venues as new facility types. The Act applies to drones of any weight, including those under 100 g, and it is enforced by the police, separately from MLIT's rules — a DIPS flight plan does not replace the 48-hour police notice.

    Source: National Police Agency · 令和8年法律第47号 · published 24 June 2026 · verified 22 September 2026

  3. In force

    Exclusive industrial zones taken out of the populated-area restriction

    An MLIT notice made under Article 236-72 of the Civil Aeronautics Act Enforcement Regulations excludes areas zoned as exclusive industrial districts under the City Planning Act from the "densely inhabited" airspace that needs permission. Flying over such an area inside a DID no longer needs a DID permission; the other rules still apply.

    Source: MLIT · 令和8年国土交通省告示第435号 · published 31 March 2026 · verified 22 September 2026

  4. In force

    Private drone certifications no longer shorten permission applications

    MLIT's revised review guidelines for Category II flight abolished the practice under which aircraft listed on the MLIT website and skill certificates issued by listed private training bodies let applicants skip parts of a permission application. Only the national aircraft certificate and Remote Pilot Certificate now do that. Permissions that relied on the old listings cannot be copied, amended or renewed; the first application after this date must be a new one.

    Source: MLIT · published 15 December 2025 · verified 22 September 2026

  5. In force

    Third-party liability insurance required for permitted flights of 25 kg or more

    For permission or approval applications made from this date, aircraft with a total weight of 25 kg or more must be covered by third-party liability insurance, and the application must state it. For lighter aircraft insurance remains a recommendation in MLIT's safety guidelines, not a requirement.

    Source: MLIT · published 10 September 2025 · verified 22 September 2026

  6. In force

    National pilot licence, aircraft certification and Level 4 flight begin

    The 2021 amendment to the Civil Aeronautics Act brought in the Class 1 and Class 2 Remote Pilot Certificates, type and aircraft certification, and new operating rules. Together they made Level 4 flight (Category III) possible: beyond visual line of sight, without observers, over populated areas where third parties are present. Level 4 needs a Class 1 pilot, a Type 1 certified aircraft and MLIT permission.

    Source: MLIT · published 5 December 2022 · verified 22 September 2026

  7. In force

    Registration and Remote ID become mandatory from 100 g

    Every drone or model aircraft of 100 g or more flown outdoors must now be registered, display its registration ID and carry a Remote ID function; unregistered aircraft may not fly. Aircraft registered during the pre-registration period from 20 December 2021 were exempted from Remote ID.

    Source: MLIT · verified 22 September 2026

Official sources

Drones made here: the directory lists 2 aircraft from Japan. See them →

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Guides: Why your drone licence stops at the border

Last verified · next review due 22 October 2026 · this is not legal advice; ListDrone is an information site, not a law firm or an aviation authority · found an error? tell us.