The Federal Communications Commission just dropped what might be the most significant regulatory bombshell in consumer drone history. On Dec. 22, 2025, the FCC added all foreign-manufactured drones and drone components to its “Covered List” – effectively banning them from receiving the equipment authorizations required to legally operate in the United States.
Yes, you read that right. All foreign-made drones are banned. It’s not just DJI. It’s not even just Chinese drone manufacturers. Every drone and critical component produced outside the United States has been banned under this latest shock.
What just happened?
According to a government press release, the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau received a National Security Determination on Dec. 21 which concluded that foreign-manufactured drones posed “an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States.” The determination cited concerns about unauthorized surveillance, data exfiltration, potential for remote attacks and the need for a resilient domestic drone industry.
The ruling specifically targets:
- Complete drone systems produced in any foreign country
- Critical components including flight controllers, batteries, motors, cameras, communication systems, and navigation systems made abroad
The only exceptions would require specific determinations from the Department of Defense (referred to as “Department of War” in the document) or Department of Homeland Security that a particular drone or component doesn’t pose security risks.
Many Republicans are celebrating the news of the FCC ban
Republicans who have been pushing anti-Chinese drone legislation for years were quick to celebrate. Representative Elise Stefanik, who has led legislative efforts alongside Senator Rick Scott, called it “a strong America First national security win for the American people” that will “unleash U.S. drone dominance and protect our nation from the Chinese Communist Party.”
Senator Scott, who has been working to remove DJI and Autel drones from military and government supply chains, framed the announcement as “a huge step forward in getting (Chinese drones) out of our nation…to protect our national security.”
The House Select Committee on China went even further, actually calling out DJI (the world’s largest drone maker) specifically. In a post to X, it wrote: “With DJI’s predatory presence in the United States ending, the American drone industry can now be fully unleashed to innovate and prosper from the ground up.”
The committee characterized this as sending “an unmistakable signal to American industry: The U.S. is open for drone innovation — and American manufacturing will be rewarded.”
DJI responds to the FCC ban
Though DJI was not called out specifically in the FCC’s please release, the company issued a measured response through a spokesperson:
“DJI is disappointed by the Federal Communications Commission’s action today to add foreign-made drones to the Covered List,” according to a prepared statement. “While DJI was not singled out, no information has been released regarding what information was used by the Executive Branch in reaching its determination.”
DJI specifically pushed back on the national security rationale.
“DJI products are among the safest and most secure on the market, supported by years of reviews conducted by U.S. government agencies and independent third parties. Concerns about DJI’s data security have not been grounded in evidence and instead reflect protectionism, contrary to the principles of an open market.”
Crucially, DJI attempted to reassure existing customers.
“Today’s development will not affect customers who already own DJI products. These existing products can continue to be purchased and operated as usual.”
DJI also noted that “new products may, in the future, be cleared for launch based on determinations made by the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.”
What this means for your ability to buy non-American made drones in the U.S.
So what does this mean for anyone trying to buy a non-American made drone in the U.S.?
If that drone is already on the market now (e.g., you can buy it on Amazon, B&H Photo, or Drone Nerds today) then nothing changes. That drone has been approved to be sold in the U.S. That DJI Mini 4K that you’ve been eyeing? Yes, you’ll still be able to buy it from here on out.
The problem is those drones that have not yet launched. Under FCC rules, once equipment lands on the Covered List, it’s prohibited from receiving equipment authorizations. This means manufacturers can’t get new drones or components certified for sale in the U.S. market.
For manufacturers seeking FCC equipment authorization, they must now certify their products don’t contain foreign-made components – a nearly impossible standard given current global supply chains.
Unless something big changes, future drones won’t be able to be sold in the U.S. (unless of course they are entirely American-made, which in itself is quite an impossible task).
Can you still legally fly DJI drones in the U.S.?
The ruling explicitly addresses new equipment authorizations – meaning new products coming to market. Existing products can continue to be purchased and operated as usual.
It’s not illegal to fly a DJI drone in the U.S.! It’s not even illegal to buy a DJI drone in the U.S.!
However, today’s news will affect future drones in the market. It will pose significant problems over the next few years if nothing changes.
Again though, this is a fluid situation and the FCC document doesn’t provide that level of clarity about existing equipment already in use. Rules could change.
But assuming this rule stands over the next couple years, pilots in the U.S. will be forced to use outdated 2025 models of foreign-made drones, or they’ll be forced to pay for American made drones (at what are likely high prices). Meanwhile, pilots in other countries will be able to use foreign-made drones, taking advantage of the latest tech at the lowest possible prices.
So what drones should I buy going forward?
Despite the triumphant messaging from lawmakers, I’ve got bad news after more than a decade of covering the drone industry and watching many American consumer drone companies try to build consumer-focused drones — and fail. Skydio shut down its consumer drone arm to focus on military drones. 3D Robotics spectacularly crashed and burned (including burning through nearly $100 million in funding). GoPro’s drone was a complete failure. There is not a single American-made camera drone under $2,000 that I recommend.
In short, neither the United States government nor actual American drone companies have done anything to indicate they currently hves the manufacturing capacity to replace foreign-made consumer and commercial drones.
The Select Committee’s promise that “the American drone industry can now be fully unleashed to innovate and prosper from the ground up” ignores the reality that building an industry from the ground up takes years.
What’s more, is that critical components like motors, batteries, cameras and flight controllers are overwhelmingly manufactured overseas. Even drones assembled in the U.S. typically rely on foreign-sourced components. Building domestic supply chains for these components will take years, not months.
For the average drone pilot who saved up for a $1,000 drone, there may not be a compliant alternative available at any price point – regardless of how “unleashed” American manufacturers become.
The U.S. government positioning drones as security threat
The National Security Determination uses examples of major events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympics to back up their rationale. The document calls drones a “central threat vector” for mass gathering events such as these.
The national security concerns cited include:
- Potential for coordinated drone swarms during major events
- Data collection and surveillance capabilities
- Remote disabling via software updates
- Supply chain vulnerabilities
- Cartel use of drones for smuggling and attacks
President Trump in recent months also issued executive orders on “Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty” and “Unleashing American Drone Dominance.” All these changes indicate a broader policy shift toward domestic drone manufacturing.
My take on the FCC ban
I’ve covered drone regulations for over a decade, and this represents the most dramatic policy shift I’ve seen. Some national security concerns are valid. Drones absolutely pose risks to critical infrastructure and major events. The ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have demonstrated how devastating commercial drones can be when weaponized.
But there’s a massive gap between the political rhetoric and the practical reality. Lawmakers are celebrating the death of “DJI’s predatory presence” and promising an unleashed American drone industry, while tens of thousands of commercial operators, first responders and hobbyists are left wondering if their equipment is still legal and what they’re supposed to replace it with.
DJI’s claim that concerns about their data security “have not been grounded in evidence” has merit – despite years of scrutiny and multiple government reviews, no smoking gun has been publicly presented. That doesn’t mean the concerns aren’t valid, but it does raise questions about whether this sweeping ban is proportionate to the actual demonstrated risk.
A more measured approach might have focused on specific manufacturers of concern, required security audits and certifications or established a timeline that allows domestic manufacturing to scale up. Instead, we’re looking at a policy that could effectively kill the consumer and small commercial drone market in the short term while doing little to stop bad actors who aren’t concerned with FCC compliance.
This story is far from over, and I suspect we’ll see significant legal challenges and potentially congressional action to clarify the implementation details that the FCC document left maddeningly vague.
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