I. Classification Standards for Drones in China
Drones in China are mainly classified into five categories based on their empty weight or maximum takeoff weight:
Micro Drones: ≤ 250g
Light Drones: 250g - 4kg (empty weight) / ≤ 7kg (takeoff weight)
Small Drones: ≤ 15kg (empty weight) / ≤ 25kg (takeoff weight)
Medium Drones: ≤ 150kg (takeoff weight)
Large Drones: > 150kg (takeoff weight)
II. Detailed Compliance Requirements by Drone Type
1.Micro Drones (≤ 250g)
Application: Personal entertainment for beginners. Minors operating must be supervised by a fully capable adult.
Flight Restrictions: Must fly within visual line of sight at a height of ≤ 50 meters. Entering controlled airspace above 120 meters or sensitive areas requires approval.
Registration and Identification: Must complete real-name registration on the UOM platform, activate, and affix a QR code. New models purchased after May 1, 2026, must come with a compliant identification module, and existing models must be retrofitted within 12 months (with a 36-month grace period). The module must have both broadcast and network transmission capabilities; failure will prevent takeoff or trigger safety procedures.
Qualifications and Insurance: No license required for non-commercial use; commercial use requires a license and liability insurance.
Consequences of Violation: Fines of 200 - 2,000 yuan for non-registration; fines and detention for flying above 50 meters or entering controlled airspace.
2.Light Drones (250g - 4kg empty weight / ≤ 7kg takeoff weight)
Application: Personal aerial photography, small-scale commercial use. Minors operating must be supervised by a fully capable adult.
Flight Restrictions: Must fly within visual line of sight at a height of ≤ 120 meters. Entering controlled airspace requires approval on the UOM platform at least 12 hours before the flight.
Registration and Identification: Must complete real-name registration on the UOM platform (including facial recognition, etc.). New models purchased after May 1, 2026, must be retrofitted with an identification module, which must upload identity and location data in real-time at intervals of ≤ 1 second and store at least 120 flight hours of records.
Qualifications and Insurance: No license required for non-commercial use; commercial use requires a CAAC license and liability insurance. Flying in controlled airspace also requires a safety operation theory qualification certificate.
Consequences of Violation: Fines of 200 - 20,000 yuan for non-registration; fines, detention, or even criminal liability for flying above 120 meters or entering controlled airspace.
3.Small Drones (≤ 15kg empty weight / ≤ 25kg takeoff weight)
Application: Professional commercial use, industrial operations. Only fully capable adults are allowed to operate.
Flight Restrictions: Must fly within visual line of sight at a height of ≤ 120 meters. Entering controlled airspace requires approval from air traffic control, and beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights require special permission.
Registration and Identification: Must complete registration on the UOM platform. New models purchased after May 1, 2026, must be retrofitted with an identification module, and existing models must be retrofitted within 12 months after the standard is released (with a 36-month grace period). Failure to retrofit or module failure will prevent takeoff, and in-flight broadcast failure requires immediate alert and execution of safety procedures.
Qualifications and Insurance: Operators must hold a CAAC license, and commercial use must be insured. For routine agricultural operations, a company training certificate can be used as a substitute.
Consequences of Violation: Fines of up to 100,000 yuan for commercial use without a license; equipment confiscation and a fine of 10,000 yuan for entering controlled airspace.
4.Medium Drones (≤ 150kg takeoff weight)
Application: Heavy-load industrial operations. Only fully capable adults with professional qualifications are allowed to operate.
Flight Restrictions: Must fly within visual line of sight at a height of ≤ 120 meters. Entering controlled airspace requires approval from both air traffic control and the industry's administrative department.
Registration and Identification: Subject to full life-cycle supervision, with a unique identifier implanted during production. Must be retrofitted with an identification module and upload data in real-time. Flight records must meet the 120-hour storage requirement to ensure full traceability throughout the process.
Qualifications and Insurance: Operators must hold a CAAC license and be insured with high liability insurance. Flight plans must be approved in advance.
Consequences of Violation: Unlicensed flights will be fined between 2,000 and 20,000 yuan; those causing accidents will be held criminally responsible.
5.Large Drones (over 150kg takeoff weight)
Application: Special operations, experimental scenarios. Professional team collaboration and ground support are required.
Flight Restrictions: Can only fly in approved controlled airspace, requiring joint approval from the military and air traffic control, with plans submitted for approval one by one.
Registration and Identification: Strictly follow the full life cycle supervision, with a unique code implanted during production. The identification module must support multi-network transmission (cellular, satellite, etc.) and implement activation control functions. Unactivated devices are completely unable to fly.
Qualifications and Insurance: Operators must hold a high-level CAAC license, be insured with high liability insurance, and undergo a special safety assessment.
Consequences of Violation: Illegal flights may result in equipment confiscation and severe penalties. In serious cases, criminal responsibility will be pursued.
III. Core Logic of Compliant Flight
Drone control follows the "risk matching" principle: the smaller the model, the lower the risk, and the looser the control standards; the larger the model, the higher the risk, and the stricter the approval and qualification requirements. This regulatory upgrade focuses on "source control + dynamic supervision"
standardizing flight subjects, airspace, and processes through technical means such as real-name activation and mandatory installation of identification modules. Even for ordinary pilots and drone performance enterprises operating micro and light drones, they must strictly adhere to basic regulations such as visual line-of-sight flight, height restrictions, and avoidance of sensitive areas.
After the two national standards come into force on May 1, 2026, the identification module will become a mandatory device for legal drone flights. Existing users need to plan in advance for installation. Enterprises should coordinate the management of their drone fleets and pilot teams to ensure full compliance with flight activities after the transition period. Adhering to the compliance bottom line is the prerequisite for safe flight and continuous enjoyment of technological dividends.