As of December 23, 2025, the US Federal Communications Fee barred Chinese language-based drone maker DJI from importing any new drones into the United State. Which may sound like you’ll be able to’t purchase a DJI drone proper now, however that is not true. Head over to Amazon and nearly the entire DJI drone lineup remains to be on the market. So what provides? Are they banned or not?
The important thing phrase within the earlier paragraph was any new drone. Nothing DJI has made up to now is banned. Nobody is taking your drone away. It is nonetheless completely authorized to fly a drone. And this is not simply a DJI ban. It is a ban on foreign-made drones, which incorporates these from corporations resembling DJI, Autel Robotics, HoverAir, and thers. That DJI is singled out in headlines has extra to do with its market dominance than the best way the principles are written.
I would prefer to say that with the most important competitor primarily faraway from the market that US-based corporations are swooping in with new drones. Truly we did say that when about Skydio, and we even favored the Skydio drone we examined, however since then Skydio has shifted away from the patron market.
No New Drones
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Courtesy of DJI
Whereas it is excellent news that the previous stuff remains to be on the market, it is unlikely that any new drones will arrive.
So as to promote in the USA, something that makes use of radio frequency parts needs to be authorised by the FCC. Drones use radio frequencies when flying, in order that they fall beneath FCC jurisdiction. As a result of not one of the drone corporations have had the safety evaluation they want by an authorised US company, they’ve all been positioned on what’s referred to as the Coated Record. Corporations on the Coated Record would not have approval to import merchandise into the US, successfully banning them.
There’s some proof that wheels are turning someplace, in a approach that would spell excellent news for shopper drone flyers. Final week, the FCC amended its Coated Record to exempt drones and parts already authorised by the Protection Contract Administration Company’s Blue UAS record. The FCC says in its public assertion, “The DoW has decided that UAS and UAS essential parts included on Protection Contract Administration Company’s (DCMA’s) Blue UAS record don’t at present current unacceptable dangers to the nationwide safety of the USA or to the protection and safety of US individuals.”
For probably the most half, this does not actually affect shopper drones, until you had been out there for a $13.6k Parrot Anafi USA Gov version thermal drone, but it surely’s higher than silence, which has been the first factor we have heard main as much as the December ban.
