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. That 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 previously 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 reminiscent of DJI, Autel Robotics, HoverAir, and thers. That DJI is singled out in headlines has extra to do with its market dominance than the way in which the principles are written.
I might prefer to say that with the most important competitor basically faraway from the market that US-based corporations are swooping in with new drones. Truly we did say that after about Skydio, and we even favored the Skydio drone we examined, however since then Skydio has shifted away from the buyer market.
No New Drones
.jpg)
Courtesy of DJI
Whereas it is excellent news that the outdated stuff remains to be on the market, it is unlikely that any new drones will arrive.
To be able to promote in the US, something that makes use of radio frequency elements needs to be accepted by the FCC. Drones use radio frequencies when flying, so that they fall beneath FCC jurisdiction. As a result of not one of the drone corporations have had the safety assessment they want by an accepted US company, they’ve all been positioned on what’s known 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 manner that might spell excellent news for shopper drone flyers. Final week, the FCC amended its Coated Record to exempt drones and elements already accepted by the Protection Contract Administration Company’s Blue UAS listing. The FCC says in its public assertion, “The DoW has decided that UAS and UAS important elements included on Protection Contract Administration Company’s (DCMA’s) Blue UAS listing don’t presently current unacceptable dangers to the nationwide safety of the US or to the protection and safety of US individuals.”
For essentially the most half, this does not actually impression shopper drones, except you have been out there for a $13.6k Parrot Anafi USA Gov version thermal drone, nevertheless it’s higher than silence, which has been the first factor we have heard main as much as the December ban.