Is DJI banned in the US? Yes, but there’s some fine print. This is what the DJI "ban" really means

Last month, the US Federal Communications Commission or FCC placed DJI – and all other foreign-made drones – on a list that prohibits all new drones from being sold in the US. But if you’ve browsed any online photo retailer in the US lately, you’ve probably still spotted some DJI drones for sale. So what’s really going on? Is DJI banned in the US, or not?

The way that the DJI ban was put into place on the FCC Covered List has created some confusion over what, exactly, the ban means and what products will and won’t be available. I’m a Part 107 licensed American drone pilot and tech journalist – here’s what the DJI drone ban really means.

Is DJI banned in the US?

Yes, DJI is partially banned in the US – but not all DJI drones are banned. Newly announced DJI products are banned in the US, but previously launched drones are still legal to sell and import. These previously launched drones are also still legal to fly.

The FCC ban means that future DJI drones that are announced will not be legal to sell or import into the US, unless approved by a national security agency. For DJI, who was specifically named in the National Defense Authorization Act FY2025, this also applies to any new action cameras, gimbals, mics, and accessories that it launches.

But the keyword here is “new.” Drones announced prior to the December 2025 ban that have previously received FCC approval are still legal to sell in the US, at least for now.

The FCC Covered List means that new drones that DJI plans to launch in the future will likely not receive the FCC approval required to be sold in the US. Any drones and accessories that DJI has planned for a 2026 launch will not be available in the US.

The FCC has indicated that new drones could be approved by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense in order to gain the necessary approval for sale in the US. But, it’s unclear at this point if any exceptions will be made and what the standards are for approval.

The FCC also now has the authority to revoke a product's license, which means that the FCC could remove the approval for previously existing drones. The FCC has not taken action against existing drones yet, but it’s worth noting that, thanks to recent changes, the organization does have the power to do so.

If I can still buy a DJI drone, then what’s the big deal?

While previously existing drones are still available in the US, the DJI drone ban means new launches won’t make it to the US. What it means is that pilots won’t be able to upgrade to a new drone with the latest tech until a US drone company launches a consumer drone.

While drone companies like Skydio and Parrot are based in the US, the current American drone companies focus on enterprise, commercial, and military drones, and not the sort of consumer drones for photography, videography, and hobbyist pilots. The drones on our list of non-DJI drones may not be from DJI, but they are foreign-made, and the FCC has restricted all foreign-made new drone launches.

The ban on new DJI drones effectively pauses consumer drone tech in the US until a US company can develop and launch new models.

Wait, but why were new drones before December 2025 still hard to get in the US?

If you’ve been watching the DJI drama unfold in the US over the past year, you may have noticed that DJI’s official web store hasn’t had drones in stock in the US in months. DJI also never added some 2025 drone launches, like the Mini 5 Pro or the Mavic 4 Pro, to its US webstore.

DJI said the reason for not launching those quadcopters in the US was due to a “customs misunderstanding” over regulations against importing products from a specific region in China. While DJI did not list the drones officially available in the US, some retailers were later able to import those new models and list them for sale.

You may also like

Read up on what the DJI drone ban means for parts and firmware. Or, browse the best drones for beginners.