Drone pilots, enthusiasts and supporters of competition in the industry: you only have a few more days to submit a comment to the Federal Communications Commission on the foreign drone ban (the deadline is May 11, 2026). If you fly drones in any capacity in the U.S., this is worth five minutes of your time.
What happened and where things stand
In December 2025, the FCC added all foreign-manufactured drones to its “Covered List” — a designation that prevents companies from bringing new products to market in the United States. Among the most impacted drone companies are DJI and Autel. Largely DJI but also Autel account for the overwhelming majority of drones used by hobbyists, small businesses, commercial operators and public safety agencies in the U.S.
Though it’s legal to fly drones already approved for sale in the U.S., it means that the company can no longer introduce new products beyond what has already received FCC approval (which means drones through the Lito, which is expected to come out sometime in 2026).
Most drone pilots have stated that they disapprove of the drone ban, and this year DJI filed a formal lawsuit against the FCC. Additionally, DJI and Autel have each filed separate formal petitions asking the FCC to reconsider their listings. Those petitions triggered a formal review process which means the FCC is now required to accept public comment on the matter before making a decision.
That comment window closes May 11. You have just a few more days.
Related read: The FCC’s foreign drone ban will save an industry that doesn’t exist
Why your voice matters
The FCC is a regulatory body that is legally required to consider public input during formal review processes. Comments from real drone users (including recreational pilots, commercial operators, farmers, inspectors, photographers, public safety professionals, educators) carry weight in a way that lobbying from industry groups alone does not. Regulators need to hear directly from the people affected by their decisions.
The Drone Advocacy Alliance, which has been one of the most active organizations opposing the ban, recently shared a letter, stating, “The FCC has the power and obligation to the American public to take this matter seriously and we need to hold them accountable.”
According to the Drone Advocacy Alliance, the ban picks winners and losers in the market based on country of origin rather than on objective cybersecurity standards applied equally to all manufacturers. The DAA argues that drone and associated technologies should be evaluated based on cybersecurity standards that all manufacturers must meet, not blanket national-origin exclusions.
Here are some outcomes I anticipate coming out of the ban:
- Hobbyists and recreational flyers will have effectively no new drone options. After all, the domestic alternatives at the consumer level are limited and, for most use cases, significantly behind DJI’s hardware in capability and value.
- Commercial operators and small businesses built around DJI platforms face a future where their equipment ages without upgraded replacement options (though of course, they would be able to replace them with the same models).
- Agricultural drone applications, infrastructure inspection, search and rescue, mapping, public safety — all of these fields depend heavily on the hardware that is now effectively frozen at its current generation in the U.S. market.
Meanwhile, all other countries will continue to have access to the latest DJI and Autel products.
Sure, some might argue that this gives a leg up to U.S. drone manufacturers. But it puts U.S. drone operators at a competitive disadvantage relative to international peers who can continue to adopt improving technology.
How to submit public comment
So what should you share in your public comment? Consider drafting a letter that answers some or all of the below questions:
- How do you use drones?
- What would losing access to the next generation of DJI or Autel hardware mean for your work, your hobby, your business or your community?
Those personal, specific, concrete accounts are what move the needle in a formal comment process. Don’t worry about the policy or technical details if you’re not an expert in your area. Simply explain in plain language what drones mean to you and what losing access to these products would cost you.
The FCC has two submission pathways depending on whether you want to submit a text comment or attach a document.
For a quick text comment:
- Go to fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/express.
- In the Proceeding Number field, type 26-22 and click “In the Matter of SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd” when it appears.
- Enter your name, email, and address.
- Write your comment directly in the “Brief Comments” box — your personal story, in your own words, explaining how you use drones and how the ban affects you.
- Toggle the slider for email confirmation, check the box acknowledging your filing is public, click “Continue to Review Screen,” pass the human verification check, and submit.
If you want to attach a PDF or document:
- Go to fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/standard.
- Enter Proceeding Number 26-22 and click the DJI proceeding name when it appears.
- Fill in your name, email, and address.
- In the “Type of Filing” dropdown, select “Reply to Opposition to Petition for Reconsideration.”
- Upload your document in the “Upload Documents” section with a clear filename.
- Check the public filing acknowledgment box, select email confirmation, click through to the review screen, pass the verification, and submit.
A few important notes: anything you submit is public record, so don’t include your phone number, home address or any business-confidential information you don’t want visible publicly.
What to say in your public comments
You know your situation better than any template can capture, but here are some starting points depending on how you use drones:
If you’re a recreational pilot: explain what drew you to the hobby, what equipment you fly, and what it would mean to be locked out of the next generation of consumer drones while pilots in Canada and Mexico continue to have access to the same technology.
If you’re a commercial operator: describe your business, the work you do, the DJI or Autel hardware you depend on, and the specific impact (e.g. financial, operational, competitive) of not being able to upgrade to new platforms.
If you work in agriculture, inspection, public safety, search and rescue, or any other professional application: explain the specific capabilities you depend on and what the real-world consequences of hardware stagnation look like in your field.
If you’re an educator: describe how drone technology is being used to teach STEM skills and what limiting access to leading hardware means for the next generation of drone pilots and engineers.
And don’t delay. The deadline is May 11.
The post You have until May 11 to tell the FCC how its drone ban impacts you — here’s how (move fast!) appeared first on The Drone Girl.