Drone weight rules are about to change – if you thought you could get away without registering at 250g, think again!

When the new rules come into effect on January 1 2026, all drone operators flying drones in the CAA's jurisdiction will need to be registered – that's less than half the current weight of 250g.

This won't immediately affect all drone operators because the CAA, the Civil Aviation Authority, is the UK's equivalent of the FAA, so the rules only apply to people flying drones in the UK, but it is a big change and one which will may not only leave British operators (and those visiting the UK) feeling somewhat surprised, but should also serve as a reminder to Americans and others that rules are not set in stone.

Key UK Drone Code changes for 2026

• Anyone flying a drone weighing over 100g in the UK will need to get a Flyer ID from the CAA. (Anyone over 13 can get a Flyer ID by scoring at least 75% on an online multiple-choice test, and the ID is valid for 5 years.
  CAA Flyer ID site
• Remote ID is being introduced for new drones with the UK1, UK2, and UK3 class marks. Drones in the UK have class marks similar to the European ones on a scale of 0 to 6 (UK0 and C0 is 250g, UK0 and C1 is 900g for example). Consumer drones are almost exclusively in the 0, 1, 2 and 3 categories, and most on sale have Remote ID systems already. (The reason for UK0 as opposed to C0 is, essentially, the British exit from the EU.)
• The newly update guide will clarify that you need permission to fly outside the code (for example over people or buildings) but you will not be able to seek that permission from the CAA any more for a general authorisation. It is still possible, however, for a creator, for example, to agree to work with someone and fly near them.
• There is a section on using a flashing light when flying at night, rather than a blanket ban.

Most key regulations, like visual line of sight will remain the same. The CAA rule, incidentally, that confuses many people is that you must be able to see your drone or the maximum distance is 500m; that means if the drone is small you probably can't fly as far as 500m because it becomes difficult to see unaided.

The CAA is clear that it is, potentially, an imprisonable offence to break the rules laid out. For the most part, so far in the UK the courts have issued fines, for example for this man who flew illegally over a festival near an airport.

Are these rules just going to stay in the UK? We don't know for sure, but we can say that HoverAir and DJI surprised with the amount of tech it was possible to fit into drones at approximately 130g, and when the 250g restriction was first touted by regulators it seemed unlikely that the level of capability we see in drones like the DJI Mini 5 Pro would be possible, so perhaps.

250g, though, will remain one of the tiers in the UK category system, and has become a widely established international weight tier, with the American FAA and other legislative bodies around the world.

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