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United Kingdom · Drone test

UK drone flying rules

Keep your drone in direct sight, never fly over crowds and keep out of restricted airspace unless you have permission: those rules apply to every drone and model aircraft, whatever its weight. The Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA’s) Drone and Model Aircraft Code sets out the UK drone flying rules, and how close you can get to people and buildings depends on your drone’s class mark or weight.

  • Any weightDrones that must never fly over crowds
  • Flashing greenLight your drone must show at night
  • Landowner’s permissionNeeded to take off from private land
Where to study

Updated October 2026 · Written from official sources, listed at the bottom of this page

Keeping your drone in sight

  • You must see the drone clearly enough to tell which way it’s facing, and have a full view of the airspace around it.
  • That means without binoculars, a telephoto lens, or a phone, tablet or video goggles; normal glasses and contact lenses are fine.
  • An observer can help. They must stand next to you, you must be able to talk to each other at all times, and one of you must keep the drone in direct sight.
  • To fly by first-person view (FPV), watching the drone’s live video, you must have an observer with you. FPV doesn’t let you fly beyond visual line of sight in the Open Category.
  • With follow-me mode active and set within 50m of you, you don’t have to keep the drone in direct sight, but every other point still applies.

Height and distance rules

Stay below 120m (400ft) above the ground, with two exceptions explained on the height limit page. How close you can fly to uninvolved people and to built-up areas depends on the Open sub-category your drone falls into: drones under 250g get the most freedom, and Far from People (A3) needs the biggest gaps.

The 120m height limit →Rules for drones under 250g →A3 distances and class marks →

Never fly over crowds

The Code calls a crowd any group of people who can’t move away quickly because of the number of people around them. Places where people are often crowded together include:

  • shopping areas, sports events and music festivals or concerts
  • religious and political gatherings, marches and rallies
  • a crowded beach or park
  • parties, carnivals and fêtes

What are the UK drone flying rules at night?

From 1 January 2026, a drone flown at night in the Open Category must have a green flashing light switched on for the whole flight, so people on the ground can tell it from a manned aircraft. If the light goes off, for example while recording, you can’t carry on flying legally. The CAA advises keeping night flights simple and close enough to keep the drone in sight.

  • UK1, UK2, UK3, UK5 and UK6 class drones must have the light built in.
  • UK0 and UK4 class drones, and drones with no class mark, may need one fitted.
  • An add-on light counts towards the drone’s weight, which can change the rules that apply.

Can you fly a drone over private property?

Any outdoor space above the ground is airspace, so the rules apply even over land you own. The CAA’s main points:

  • Get permission from whoever owns the land or property before you take off or land there.
  • Fly at a reasonable height so you don’t interfere with people’s use and enjoyment of their land or buildings.
  • Using a camera where people can expect privacy, such as their home or garden, is likely to break data protection laws, and recordings of people may be covered by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
  • If you crash or make a forced landing on private property, get the owner’s permission before you go to fetch the drone.

The Code also asks you to let people know before you record, think before sharing photos and videos, and store images safely.

Checks before and during every flight

  • Know how far the drone can fly before it loses signal and how long its battery or fuel lasts, and check the controller’s battery too.
  • Keep the firmware and any geo-awareness software up to date, and don’t alter or disable geo-awareness.
  • Never drop, lower or fire anything from the drone, and never carry dangerous cargo.
  • Don’t go over the maximum take-off mass, which includes anything you attach.
  • Don’t fly in weather that could affect the flight, such as strong wind, rain, fog or sun glare.
  • Don’t fly after drinking alcohol, on medicine that could affect you, or when tired, unwell or distracted, and fly only one drone at a time.
  • Lower the drone or land if a low-flying aircraft appears, and land straight away if it looks like it’s trying to land.

Insurance is optional only when you fly a drone under 20kg for fun, recreation, sport or as a hobby; the commercial page has the full rule.

Insurance and flying for work →

Reporting incidents and misuse

  • An accident or serious incident involving a drone, anything that did or could have put people, property or aircraft in danger: you must report it to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB).
  • Report it to the CAA too, on its ECCAIRS 2 service, which you can do anonymously. The CAA’s guidance makes that report a must when a manned aircraft is involved.
  • Someone using a drone in a suspicious or dangerous way: call your local police on 101, or airport security if it’s at an airport.
  • An immediate danger to life or a threat of violence: call 999.
ECCAIRS 2: Report an Occurrence Service ↗
Sources: CAA and 10 more. Checked October 2026.

Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.

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Do you need one?Under 250gA1 and A3