Drone Laws by State & Country

Every US state and 56 countries in one index. Each guide gives the registration threshold, the altitude ceiling, the night-flying rule, the maximum penalty and the regulator that enforces it, with the date it was last checked.

106JurisdictionsOne guide each

50US statesAll 50, plus federal rules

56Countries26 in the EASA bloc

6Facts per guideStated the same way every time

US drone laws by state

A clickable map of all 50 states, the FAA rules that apply everywhere, and a pre-flight checklist.

International drone laws

56 country guides, including the 26 that share the EASA open-category baseline and the handful that ban civilian drones.

What every guide tells you

The same six facts appear in the same place on all 106 guides, so two jurisdictions can be compared line by line.

Registration thresholdThe weight at which you must register, and the portal to do it

Licence or testWhat recreational and commercial pilots each have to hold

Altitude ceilingThe maximum height above ground level, in local units

Night flyingWhether it is allowed, banned, or allowed only with a permit

Maximum penaltyThe fine or prison term, with the statute it comes from

The regulatorWho actually enforces it, linked to their own guidance

Find your state or country

Each line shows the registration threshold and the altitude ceiling, so you can often get your answer without opening the guide. The search box looks across states and countries at once, so you do not have to pick a tab first.

All 50 US states, alphabetically.

Every guide carries the date it was last checked against its own regulator. The most recent review was 4 August 2026. Rules change without notice, so treat these guides as a starting point and confirm anything critical with the authority named on the page.

How to read a drone law, wherever you are

Almost every country builds its drone rules from the same five decisions: how heavy a drone can be before you must register it, how high you may fly, whether you need a test or a licence, whether you may fly at night, and what happens if you get it wrong. Learn to read those five and an unfamiliar jurisdiction stops being intimidating. That is why each guide in this index states them in the same order.

The registration threshold is the single most useful number. It decides whether your drone is paperwork or not, and it is the rule most likely to have changed since you last looked.

Two layers of law, nearly everywhere

Drone rules almost never live in one place. In the United States the FAA owns the airspace, so no state can permit a flight the FAA forbids, but states add their own statutes on privacy, trespass, critical infrastructure and state parks. Texas, for example, makes drone surveillance over private property a criminal offence on top of every federal rule. Check both layers or you will miss half the picture.

Europe works the same way from the other direction. The 26 EASA countries in this index share the EU open-category framework, with its 120-metre ceiling and its A1, A2 and A3 subcategories. What differs between them is insurance, minimum pilot age, national park access and how aggressively local police enforce. Learning the EASA baseline once gets you most of the way across the continent.

The rules most likely to be out of date

Some numbers decay on a calendar rather than when a law changes. Fines indexed to inflation are the clearest case: Turkey revalues its drone penalties every January, so a figure that was right last year is simply wrong now. Registration fees drift the same way. Weight thresholds move less often but move decisively, as the UK showed by dropping from 250g to 100g at the start of 2026.

This is why each guide shows the date it was checked and names the regulator it was checked against. If a page you are reading anywhere on the web cites a drone rule without a date, treat the number as a guess.

If you are travelling with a drone

Three questions decide whether a trip is viable, and none of them is about flying. Can a visitor register at all, or is the scheme limited to residents? Does customs want a declaration when you land? And are the places you actually want to film inside a restricted zone? Plenty of countries are relaxed about the flying and strict about the paperwork. A few, including Iran, bar foreign nationals from holding a civilian drone at all.

Citing this index

Writers, tourism boards, flight schools and drone operators are welcome to link to this page or to any individual guide. No permission needed. If it helps, this is the form we use ourselves:

Dronesgator, “Drone Laws by State & Country”, https://dronesgator.com/drone-laws (last reviewed 4 August 2026)

Spotted a rule that has changed? Tell us on the contact page and name the regulator, and we will check it.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to register my drone?

In most countries, yes, once the drone passes a weight threshold. The common threshold is 250g, but Japan and the UK register from 100g, Turkey from 500g, and China, Israel and the UAE register every drone regardless of weight. Each guide states the threshold for that jurisdiction and links to the registration portal.

How high can I legally fly a drone?

The two common ceilings are 400 feet above ground level in the United States and 120 metres in Europe and much of the rest of the world. Japan allows 150 metres. A few countries are far stricter: Israel and the Maldives cap recreational flights at 50 metres.

Are drone laws set nationally or locally?

Both, and that is what catches people out. In the United States the FAA controls the airspace, so a state cannot permit what the FAA forbids, but states can and do restrict where you take off, land and photograph. In the European Union the EASA open-category rules form a shared baseline that each member state adds to with its own insurance, minimum age and park rules.

Can I fly a drone at night?

It depends on the jurisdiction. Night flying is broadly allowed in the United States with anti-collision lighting and in the UK with a green flashing light. It is prohibited in the EASA open category and in much of Asia and the Middle East. Japan and Turkey allow it only with a specific permit.

Which countries ban drones outright?

Iraq bans civilian drones outright and Venezuela suspended all civilian registration in August 2025. Ukraine bans civilian flights for the duration of the war. Iran requires a police-issued ownership document for every drone and bars foreign nationals from holding one at all. Egypt requires Ministry of Defence authorisation with no public process for civilians.

Can I take my drone abroad as a tourist?

Usually, but check three things before you book: whether visitors can register at all, whether customs requires a declaration on arrival, and whether the places you want to film are restricted. Some countries only register residents. Turkey requires a Turkish ID number above 500g, and Iran bars foreign nationals entirely.

Related resources

US drone laws by state International drone laws Part 107 licence guide How much a drone licence costs Where can you fly a drone?Can you fly a drone at night?Countries where drones are banned Best drones under 250g