After months and months of reports hemming and hawing about whether it would come to fruition or not, the final date for the potential “DJI drone” ban has come, and it is now official. No new DJI drones will be entering the United States as the FCC has officially added DJI (and other foreign-made drones) to its national security “covered list”.

We’ve covered this impending drone ban for quite some time, so it shouldn’t really come as too much of a surprise. DJI has warned about this coming to fruition as well and had already decided not to sell its newest drones this year in the US (as well as some other intriguing film and video products).

So, now that it’s finally here, let’s take a more complete look at what this DJI drone ban means and what the future might hold.

DJI Drone Ban is Now in Effect

In an official statement put out by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), DJI has been added to the covered list as part of a “decision to help restore our airspace sovereignty and unleash American drone dominance without disrupting ongoing use of previously authorized drones.”

Yes, that’s the title of the document (which you can read in its entirety here), and it pretty much sums up the decision and logic. Here’s the full intro explaining the decision by the Trump administration:

“As President Trump stated in the Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty Executive Order, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), otherwise known as drones, offer the potential to greatly enhance public safety and innovation. At the same time, criminals, hostile foreign actors, and terrorists can use them to present new and serious threats to our homeland. As the United States prepares to host several mass-gathering events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup, America250 celebrations, and the 2028 LA Summer Olympics, the federal government is taking additional actions to safeguard Americans and restore American airspace sovereignty.”

The statement goes on to add:

“Additionally, as President Trump’s Unleashing American Drone Dominance Executive Order and National Security Strategy outlined, ensuring a strong and resilient drone industrial base is an economic and national security priority. Relying on foreign-made UAS threatens national security.”

Clearing Things Up

With the intent explained, more or less, we do get some official points outlined, which explain how this effective “drone ban” will work. The two big points here are as follows:

  • New devices on the Covered List, such as foreign-made drones, are prohibited from receiving FCC authorization and are therefore prohibited from being imported for use or sale in the U.S. This update to the Covered List does not prohibit the import, sale, or use of any existing device models the FCC previously authorized.
  • This action does not affect any previously purchased drone. Consumers can continue to use any drone they have already lawfully purchased or acquired.

This seems to be issued to ensure that people who already own DJI (or other covered list products) understand that they will still be able to use any drones that they’ve purchased previously. It also clears up, at least a little bit, that drones already in the US are still able to be bought or sold—it’s just new ones being shipped in, which are now banned.

As mentioned above, DJI has been well aware of this impending ban and has already decided not to sell its latest drones (like the Mavic 4 Pro) in the US at all. So, for the time being, that’s where we’re at and where we’re likely to stay.

DJI has released several posts in the past with steps customers can take to help speak out against this ban, but ultimately, they have proved ineffective so far. We’ll continue to cover this developing story and let you know if any new information is announced.

From Your Site Articles
aerial cinematographyaerial dronesdjidji mavic 4 prodrone videographydronesfccdji drone ban
Cinematography & CamerasTopics