Drone Laws in the United States of America (USA)

Written by Francis Markert | Last update on 8. October 2026 | 6 comments

The USA impresses with its scenic and cultural diversity, from spectacular national parks to endless coastlines and vibrant cities. For drone enthusiasts, that means no shortage of subjects.

In this article, you’ll learn what you need to keep in mind if you want to fly your drone in the USA.

In the USA, drone operations are strongly distinguished by purpose. On the one hand there are recreational flyers, on the other hand all other users (certificated remote pilots under Part 107).

If you want to bring your drone to the USA to film your vacation, you are a recreational flyer.

Registration and Remote ID

In the USA, all drones weighing 250 grams or more must be registered with the FAA. Lighter drones such as the DJI Mini 5 Pro are exempt as long as you fly them purely for fun under the Exception for Limited Recreational Operations. For visitors from abroad, however, this does not mean they can simply take off. For foreign drones there is no 250-gram threshold when it comes to Remote ID, more on that below.

Registration with the FAA costs 5 US dollars and is valid for three years.

As a visitor from abroad, you usually do not need the FAA registration if you are registered in your home country. Instead, the Remote ID rules apply, and in a stricter form than for residents.

Remote ID and Notice of Identification for foreign drones

The FAA’s Remote ID rule (14 CFR Part 89) applies to all drones that must be registered in the USA. It also expressly applies to all foreign civil drones flown in the USA, without any weight threshold (§ 89.101). The exemption for drones under 250 grams is tied to the US registration requirement and therefore does not help you as a visitor. The FAA’s page for international drone pilots puts it this way: all operators of foreign drones must follow the Remote ID rules.

As a tourist, you therefore have two options:

1. Remote ID and Notice of Identification (NOI): Your drone broadcasts Remote ID to the FAA standard (built in or via an add-on module) and is registered in your home country. In the EU, your operator registration number (e-ID) is sufficient. Before your first flight, you submit a free Notice of Identification via FAADroneZone. You will receive a Confirmation of Identification (CID), which you must carry while flying and show on request. A digital copy is fine. If your details change, for example your address in the USA, you must update the NOI before your next flight.
2. FRIA: If your drone does not broadcast Remote ID or is not registered in your home country, you may only fly it within an FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA) and within visual line of sight. FRIAs are FAA-approved sites of model aircraft clubs and educational institutions. For vacation footage, that is hardly an attractive option.

This also applies to drones under 250 grams. One reader wrote to the FAA and was told that foreign visitors either need Remote ID plus an NOI or may only fly within a FRIA. That matches the wording of the regulation. For the NOI, the serial number of your drone or module must be listed on an FAA-accepted Declaration of Compliance.

So before your trip, check whether your drone actually broadcasts Remote ID in the USA. One reader reports that the DJI Mini 4 Pro only activates Remote ID with the heavier Plus battery and broadcasts nothing with the standard battery. We have not yet received official confirmation of this. If your drone has no Remote ID, you can add a broadcast module that is on the FAA’s list.

If you are not registered in your home country at all, for example because your drone is under 250 grams without a camera and needs no registration in the EU, you cannot submit an NOI. In that case, the FAA refers you to its own registration via FAADroneZone. For foreign nationals, the certificate issued there counts as recognition of ownership, not as US registration.

If you have questions, the FAA’s UAS Support Center can help at [email protected] or by phone at +1 844 359 6982.

After completing the registration, you will receive a number that you must attach to your drone.

Since September 16, 2023, all drones that must be registered have to broadcast Remote ID, and foreign drones regardless of weight. Remote ID allows people nearby to check where the drone and its control station are located. The American Remote ID works very similarly to the European system for remote identification.

Drone operators can meet the Remote ID requirements in three ways:

1. Built-in Remote ID: From takeoff to landing, the drone must broadcast the following information: drone ID, location, altitude, speed, location and altitude of the control station (e.g. the remote controller), time mark and emergency status. Most commercially available drones meet this requirement when flown with the latest firmware and when their serial number is listed on an FAA-accepted Declaration of Compliance.
2. A Remote ID broadcast module attached to the drone (e.g. Drone Tag, must be listed by the FAA). From takeoff to landing, it must broadcast: drone ID, location, altitude, speed, location and altitude of the takeoff point, and time mark.
3. Drones without Remote ID may only be flown within visual line of sight and at designated sites (FRIA).

Rules for recreational flyers

After months of preparation, The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) was introduced in 2021, a knowledge test for recreational pilots. It checks your general knowledge of drone rules and safety precautions. The test is free and can be taken online with one of the official test administrators, which are listed on the FAA website. The test first teaches the required basics, followed by multiple-choice questions (fairly easy for experienced drone pilots). If you answer a question incorrectly, you can immediately choose another answer. Once you pass, you receive an electronic certificate with your name and an authentication number, which never expires. Always carry this certificate together with your registration and be able to show it on request. If you are caught without a TRUST certificate, the fine can be around 1,500 dollars, if it is enforced. Note that without the test you technically do not count as a recreational flyer and would have to follow the rules for commercial pilots.

The rules also define where you may fly: in uncontrolled airspace, the drone may only climb to 400 feet (about 121 meters).

Flights in controlled airspace require an authorization. You can request it through the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC). In addition, there are some approved locations marked with a blue dot on this page (check the permitted altitudes).

To the best of our knowledge, everyone who wants to fly a drone for recreational purposes must pass TRUST, regardless of how light or heavy the drone is.

As a recreational flyer, a number of other rules apply to you.

Drones must always be flown within visual line of sight. FPV is possible with a spotter, as long as the spotter keeps visual contact.

There is currently no mandatory insurance in the USA. Nevertheless, you should always protect your flights accordingly. We have collected detailed information on drone insurance here. We recommend CoverDrone. This company insures both private and commercial drone flights in the USA. If you choose CoverDrone, please select Drone-Traveller.com in the “Where did you hear about us?” field. We will then receive a small commission.

Recreational pilots may fly drones weighing up to 25 kilograms (55 pounds). Flying a drone under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not permitted.

Around airports there is usually controlled airspace, where you need prior authorization via LAANC or FAADroneZone. The often-quoted rule of keeping five miles away is no longer what counts. You should also not fly near crowds, public events, stadiums, or emergency and rescue operations (please note the rules on flying over people further below). Flying is prohibited in all national parks. In Washington, D.C., flying within a 15-mile radius is prohibited without specific FAA authorization.

Rules in individual states or even cities still sometimes differ from federal law. So if you are traveling to the USA, also check the local regulations.

An example: New York City banned drones completely for a long time. Since 2023, however, you can apply for a permit, which comes with some bureaucratic hurdles.

Overview: Drone rules in United States of America

Rules for professional drone flights (Part 107)

Pilots who do not meet the conditions for recreational flyers automatically fall under Part 107. This includes, for example, flights for commercial photography, research or inspections.

Certified Part 107 pilots enjoy some privileges. Drones may be operated from moving vehicles, night flights are allowed and flying over people is possible. Most of these special scenarios, however, require an additional authorization.

To obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate under Part 107, you have to pass an exam at a testing center in the USA. If this applies to you, we recommend the FAA’s page as a starting point.

Foreign pilots additionally need to apply for a permit under Part 375 from the Department of Transportation.

Night flights and flights over people

Drones may only be flown in the USA during the day and during twilight, specifically from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Night flights are only allowed if the pilot has passed a knowledge test (Part 107) and the drone has flashing anti-collision lighting switched on that is visible from at least three miles away.

Flights over people are also allowed, in several categories:

• Category 1: The drone weighs less than 250 grams and has no exposed rotating parts that could cause lacerations. In addition, the Remote ID rules must be followed for sustained flight over open-air assemblies. Sustained flight means hovering above people’s heads, flying back and forth over them or circling above the assembly. A brief, one-time transit over part of a crowd does not count, as long as the flight is not related to the assembly.
• Category 2: More than 250 grams, no exposed rotating parts that could cause lacerations and no safety defects. On impact, no more than 14.9 joules of kinetic energy are released. The drone has no airworthiness certificate; for sustained flight over assemblies, the Remote ID rules must be followed.
• Category 3: More than 250 grams, no exposed rotating parts that could cause lacerations and no safety defects. On impact, no more than 33.9 joules of kinetic energy are released. The drone has no airworthiness certificate and sustained flight over assemblies is not allowed. Flying over people is only allowed within a closed or restricted-access site where everyone present knows that a drone may fly over them, or if the drone does not hover over anyone, unless that person is participating in the operation or is protected from a falling drone by their location, for example in a parked vehicle or under a roof.
• Category 4: Drone with an airworthiness certificate. It may fly over people as long as this is not restricted by the operating manual or the competent authority. Remote ID is required.

Flying over moving vehicles is also allowed for drones in categories 1 to 3, as long as one of these conditions is met:

• The drone stays within a closed or restricted-access site and everyone in the moving vehicles knows that a drone may fly over them.
• The drone does not maintain sustained flight over the vehicles.

In category 4, vehicles may also be overflown, as long as this is not restricted by the manual or by instructions from the authorities.

All operations described in this section require a Remote Pilot Certificate.

Drone rules in the USA keep evolving. That is why it is always a good idea to check the website of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for recent updates.

Have you flown a drone in the USA? Leave us a comment below and tell us how Remote ID and the Notice of Identification worked for you. You’ll help everyone planning a trip to the USA.

We have researched the listed drone regulations for the United States of America to the best of our knowledge. We cannot guarantee the correctness of the information. If you want to be on the safe side, contact the American aviation authority. Alternatively, you can also ask the American embassy in your home country for further information about the regulations. Please leave us a comment when you receive news and/or gain experience with your drone in the USA!