What are the General Drone Laws in Jamaica?
Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Jamaica.
400ft max height
152 m away from a large population
16,500m from the airport
Within 500m from controller
This is a guide for drone laws in Jamaica for 2023 (updated every year) where you'll get a clue about what you can or can't do while flying drones and traveling through this country.
Yes! You can carry your drone to Jamaica on a flight, but Consult with your airline and see if they have any conditional restrictions.
You must consider any restrictions under any conditions that your respective airline might have for carrying a drone. It is always recommended to gather information directly from your airlines for such arrangements.
If there are no such conditions, and you are allowed to carry the drone by your airline then keep these instructions in mind:
According to the National Aviation Authority of Jamaica, the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA), it is legal in Jamaica to fly drones as far as you are compliant with the rules.
For more details, you can contact them directly using the mentioned contact details:
Contact email jcivav@jcaa.gov.jm
Phone: +1 (876) 960-3948, 960-3965
Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority, JCAA is the body leading the charge on Jamaica’s drone rules and regulations.
Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to know for flying a drone in Jamaica.
According to the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority (JCAA) drones have been classified into two types based on their nature of operations:
Recreational drones are model aircraft or UAVs which are flown only for fun purposes. Whereas, professional drones are the ones flown for business activities by people or the companies, such as aerial photography or research and surveys.
As such there are no specific rules, permits, or registrations required for operating recreational drones in Jamaica, apart from the general rules of flying a drone mentioned above.
To fly a drone for recreational purposes, you must abide by the general rules and you are then good to go.
All drone operators who are willing to operate their drones in this category must obtain a permit from JCAA before their arrival. To apply, you can find the application details through this link.
That permit will be used as your drone License and you’ll need it before every drone flight in Jamaica.
For approval, the operator must submit a written application mentioning the intent and other details of the operation. Usually, it takes a month for an application to get approved, due to the required approvals from specific airspace authorities. So it is advisable to plan your trip and make your arrangements while keeping the application approval timeline in mind.
Once the application is approved, it comes back to the operators along with the restrictions and conditions that might be applicable. The operator must follow all those rules and restrictions to avoid issues.
According to JCAA, drone insurance is not compulsory in Jamaica, but since Jamaica is a bit overpriced country, it is recommended and better to get your drone insured in case of any fines or accidents. It is always better to get yourself covered from that end.
My following two recommendations are 2 great compact drones that are quite silent and also small enough to travel with and not stand out as annoying.
4k
31 min
10 km
No follow-me
DJI has surprised us with this incredible camera drone under 250g, which is legal to fly in most countries without registration.
It comes at a very cheap price for its incredible specs.I have covered it much more in-depth in my article review and even compared it with the Mavic Air 2.
4k 60p
34 min
10 km
Follow me
If you want more control over things like shutter speed, iso, and such, the best professional drone that still falls under the 500g category is the DJI Mavic Air.
It's made mostly for people who want to play around with settings and enter into the pro category.
DJI lowered its price since it was first released.
The best way to figure out what areas you can fly in, while you're here is by consulting DJI's official map.
They do a great job mapping the places that one should avoid while flying in every country:
These would be the current updated drone laws for Jamaica. I suggest checking my full map with all the countries' drone laws to see where it's best to travel.
If you are going to visit Jamaica, make sure you’ve learned all the dos and don’ts of flying drones in this region. This will help you have a safe journey and enjoy flying your drone without getting yourself into trouble.
Also, keep in mind that, commercial and recreational drones are treated differently in most countries therefore you will need to prepare yourself accordingly. Last but not least, always follow rules and regulations and make sure to respect the laws of every country.