Every DJI drone has a unique serial number that can identify your drone should the need for that arise. While you may rarely need it, a good rule of thumb is to copy it down somewhere safe, because you won’t always be able to read it on the spot (suppose your drone burned, for example).
The most common place to find the serial number of your drone is its packaging. If you don’t have the packaging, you can also almost always find it either at the bottom of the drone, near or inside the battery compartment, or at the tail of the drone, depending upon how the drone is made.
The exact place of the serial number though depends on the DJI drone model. In this article we’ll look at some of the popular DJI drones and where you can find their serial numbers, so stick around.
Before we go any further, let’s look at what a serial number is in the first place.
A serial number is a set of 14 characters, made up from letters and numbers. While the average person can’t decode it, the DJI drone serial number has information that can allow you to trace your drone from its manufacturer all the way to the end consumer.
While the serial number isn’t a crucial part of your drone, I asked you earlier to note it down because there are several cases where you’ll need it. Which brings us to the next section…
As I said, the serial number isn’t something crucial, but it is important. Without it you may find yourself unable to have access to some drone services.
The serial number of your DJI drone is important because it’s the identity of your drone. With it you can register, repair, and do maintenance as well as get access to various other drone services. So it’s a good rule of thumb to make sure you write it down or take a picture of it, in case you need it but don’t have access to your drone.
Some of the reasons for why you may need to know your drone’s serial number are:
Registration with the FAA
That’s right! I almost always bring it up in my articles but any drone above 250 grams needs to be registered with the FAA.
And what do you need when trying to register with the FAA? Bingo! You guessed it right… you need the serial number. Without it, you can’t register your drone. That’s fine and all but the real problem comes when you have a second-hand drone that you need to register…
If the serial number of that drone has been wiped off, you’ll find yourself unable to register your drone with risk of being fined if you fly it regardless. So be sure to check if the serial number can be seen first before buying a used drone.
Drone repair
Moving on. Repairing your drone is another case where you’ll need to have access to your serial number.
Accidents happen after all. Sometimes it might not even be your fault and it will be the drone that malfunctioned, in which case you’ll need to send it off to DJI for repairs. The problem is if the serial number has been wiped in the crash they’ll have no way of identifying your drone.
Hence why it’s important to write it down on a piece of paper as soon as you get your drone.
DJI Care Refresh
If you want to purchase DJI refresh insurance for your drone you’ll need the serial number to register. If you already have insurance and want to file a claim, you’ll also need your serial number to identify your drone.
In case you didn’t know what DJI care refresh is, it’s basically a physical damage insurance policy from DJI for some of their products. It offers you up to two replacement units in the 12 months that are covered by your plan. These replacement units are guaranteed to be new or equivalent to new in performance and reliability.
I’ve already gone in-depth on the topic in this article, if you’re interested you might want to check that out.
Alright, so we’ve outlined why being aware of your drone’s serial number is a good idea. As I discussed above, while there are common places where you can find your serial number, each DJI model is different. Below is placement of several DJI drones’ serial numbers.
DJI Mavic 3 (Standard & Cine)
When it comes to the DJI Mavic 3 and Mavic 3 Cine, it’s quite easy to locate the serial number. It can be found either inside the battery compartment or in the packaging on the bar code sticker.
If you want to learn more about the Mavic 3 & 2, check out this in-depth article I made.
DJI Mavic Air / Air 2S
Similarly to the Mavic 3, you can find the serial number of the Mavic air and air 2S either in the battery compartment or on the barcode sticker of your drone’s packaging.
I’ve made a more in-depth article about them here.
DJI Mavic Mini Se / Mini 2
When it comes to the DJI mini series it’s also simple to locate the serial number. Similar to the models discussed above, you can find it inside the battery compartment or on the barcode sticker of the drone’s packaging.
Check out this article I made about them to learn more.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro / Mavic Pro Platinum / Mavic 2 Pro Zoom
When it comes to the Mavic Pro series, the serial numbers are located inside the battery compartment.
DJI Phantom 2
Unlike the drones we’ve seen so far, when it comes to the DJI Phantom 2, the serial number is located in the drone’s tail. Below is a picture to help you locate it.
DJI Phantom 3 / 3 SE
When it comes to these two, the serial number is located at the bottom of the drone. Exactly like the picture below. Keep in mind that there is also the gimbal’s serial number on the gimbal board, which is not to be confused by the drone’s serial number.
DJI Phantom 4
When it comes to the phantom series last model, its serial number can be found in the battery compartment unlike its predecessors.
DJI Inspire Series
DJI Inspire 2
The DJI Inspire 2’s serial number can be found in its tail, as shown in the picture below.
DJI Inspire 1
Similarly to the Inspire 2, you find the serial number on the tail of the drone. Not to be confused with the gimbal’s serial number which is on the gimbal board.
DJI FPV drones
The DJI FPV’s serial number can be found either on the barcode sticker of the packaging, or in a sticker on the battery compartment of the drone.
Furthermore, in the DJI FPV goggles V2, you can press the 5D button and click on the menu then choose “about”. You’ll then be able to see the flight control serial number which will match the serial number of your FPV drone.
Enterprise drones
I’m willing to bet that you don’t have an enterprise drone, but for the sake of satisfying your curiosity, here is where you can find the serial number of various drones.
There is actually a better way to find your drone’s serial number if you already activated it with the DJI Fly app.
This is particularly helpful when the serial number sticker has been erased and you’ve already thrown your drone’s box away (or someone else did…).
To find your drone’s serial number via the DJI Fly App, follow the follow these 3 simple steps:
As we’ve discussed, while the serial number may be something you rarely have need for, when you do, it’s almost always an urgent one.
Many things can cause it to get erased off your drone, or you may lose your drone’s packaging. So to be safe, I recommend you either write it down somewhere or you take a picture of it and upload it to the cloud.
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