Introduction to drone flying and the UK rules

UK flyer IDs and operator IDs are not valid outside the UK.

You will need to check with the relevant authority in your destination country for details of local requirements for flying drones and model aircraft.

If you want to fly your drone or model aircraft in an EU member state, you must register as an operator in that state. There are some exceptions to this, and you should check with the specific member state concerned.

If you are taking your drone on an airline flight, then remember to carry any batteries with you in your hand luggage. This video has some useful advice on travelling with your drone.

When you are travelling through an airport with your drone please avoid turning it on as this may trigger the airport's drone detection safety systems. 

If you want to use your drone or model aircraft in the UK, you must follow the UK regulations for flying a drone or model aircraft. In most cases, you’ll need to get a UK flyer ID and operator ID.

When you are travelling through an airport with your drone please avoid turning it on as this may trigger the airport's drone detection safety systems. 

If your drone is under 250g then there are some variations to some of the rules. If your drone has a camera then you must register as an operator but you do not have to complete the flyer ID test (although we strongly recommend that you do).

If you’re flying a drone or model aircraft that’s lighter than 250g, you can fly closer to people than 50m and you can fly over them, but you must not fly over crowds.

When you’re thinking about how close you can fly, remember, you must never put people in danger. Even small drones and model aircraft could injure people if you don’t fly them safely. You must also follow all the other rules for drone flying.

We consider the following as flying objects, so they do not fall within the definition of a drone or remotely piloted aircraft:

• Paper aeroplanes
• Hand launched gliders, but only those with no moveable control surfaces or remote-control link
• Frisbees, darts and other thrown toys

The airspace that drones and model aircraft fly in is shared with all other types of aviation. Before flying a drone or model aircraft, you must check for any airspace restrictions as part of your pre-flight planning. Temporary airspace restrictions are also frequently put in place across the UK. You can find out more on our airspace information section.

There is no distinction between flying commercially and flying for pleasure or recreation. This means that an approval just to operate commercially is not required. However, all commercial drone flights require valid insurance cover.

Any further requirements will be dictated by the category of the flight.

Operations under the Specific category will require an Operational Authorisation from the CAA. 

If you are flying as part of a business or as a freelancer then you should carefully read our more detailed guidance

The following information describes the core responsibilities of the operators of drone and model aircraft. While this will help you understand the minimum requirements, you must take necessary steps to inform yourself and make appropriate decisions about your responsibilities as an operator.

Operators

The operator is the person or organisation that organises and manages how a drone or model aircraft is used.

They are legally accountable for the safe management of the aircraft and must decide the necessary level of preparation, training, planning and oversight for the conditions and circumstances of flights. This includes flights they carry out themselves or that are carried out by anyone else using the operator’s aircraft.

Relationship with pilot (flyer) responsibilities

The pilot is responsible for carrying out the flight safely within the management framework set out by the operator.

Operators must make sure they have effective management oversight for all flights using their aircraft.

Clubs and associations and the role of operator

For a club or association to undertake the role of operator with its members as remote pilots, the club or association would need to have considerable management oversight of its members' aircraft. We think this would be hard to achieve in practice.

Since the legal identity of the operator must be clear, organisations or clubs without a formal legal status are unlikely to be able to meet the operator requirements.

To stay up to date with new rules, safety information and airspace restrictions we recommend you sign up to the drone and airspace alert categories in our SkyWise email alerting system at http://skywise.caa.co.uk/

The Police are responsible for taking enforcement action when it is believed that the requirements of the law have not been met.

Depending on the circumstances, this action could be taken against the operator, remote pilot, or both. Penalties range from warnings to the confiscation of drones and even imprisonment.

If you have any concerns about unmanned aircraft being used in your area, either from a safety or privacy perspective, contact your local police on 101 or if it is an immediate threat to safety or security call 999.

Drone class marks being rolled out across European Union nations will not currently be used or recognised in the UK. Following a public consultation and formal government decision, the UK will keep the existing legacy provisions until 1 January 2026. Before then, together with government, we will review regulations for unmanned aircraft, including the open category. For more detail see our November news story.

Police UAS operations fall outside the scope of UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947. This is because these activities are outside the scope of the primary legislation that this regulation falls under (UK Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 – ‘The Basic Regulation’), as set out in Article 2.

There is, however, a requirement for the CAA to ensure that police UAS operations take due regard of the safety objectives of the Basic Regulation, and that they are separated safely from other aircraft. Additionally, the Air Navigation Order 2016 requirements still apply, including (but not limited to) the requirement to not recklessly or negligently act in a manner likely to endanger an aircraft, and to not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an unmanned aircraft to endanger any person or property.

The CAA is actively engaged with the Department for Transport, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and other government agencies to establish suitable policy to cover this area.

Until this policy is in place, police UAS operators are reminded that whilst they do not fall within the scope of the Basic Regulation, current NPCC operational guidance is that all police UAS operations remain within the confines of extant regulation. Any queries in relation to this operational guidance should be directed to the NPCC Drones Mailbox.

Offences set out within the Air Navigation Order Article 265A, 265B and 265C are based on requirements of UK Regulation (EU) 2019/947. For UAS operators and remote pilots out of scope of this regulation, then no such offence is created.