Mon Jan 1, 0001

Drones: FAA, FCC, and Purchasing Restrictions

FAA Remote ID

  • Final Rule: 14 CFR Part 89, published January 15, 2021
  • Compliance deadline: September 16, 2023
  • All drones requiring registration must broadcast Remote ID

Broadcast Data

Drone serial number or session ID, drone lat/long/altitude, operator lat/long/ altitude, takeoff location, timestamp, emergency status. Broadcast via Bluetooth 4/5 or Wi-Fi NaN. Receivable by anyone within range (~300m-1km) with compatible device or app (DroneScout, OpenDroneID).

FAA Registration

Drones 0.55 lb (250g) or more must register ($5, valid 3 years). Database contains operator name, physical address, email, registration number. Not fully public but cross-referenceable by law enforcement.

FAA Enforcement (2024-2025)

Increased actions against commercial operators without Part 107 certification and recreational flyers violating airspace restrictions (airports, wildfire TFRs). Fines up to $27,500/violation for Remote ID non-compliance.

Countering CCP Drones Act

H.R. 2864 / S. 1631 (118th Congress). Would direct FCC to add DJI to Covered List under Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, banning new FCC equipment authorizations. Passed House as part of FY2025 NDAA; Senate NDAA did not include. Reintroduced 119th Congress (2025). As of May 2025: DJI not on FCC Covered List, drones still legally purchasable/importable.

FCC Covered List

Established under Secure Networks Act of 2019. Includes Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision, Dahua. Does NOT include DJI as of early 2025. No blanket FCC ban on drone batteries or transmitters as of May 2025.

Sources