China's drone flight rules (updated in 2024)

From January 1, 2024, the "Interim Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flight" (State Order No. 761) (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") promulgated by the State Council of the People's Republic of China and the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China will be officially implemented.

Units and individuals flying drones should fly in accordance with the law and regulations and must not endanger public safety. For illegal and irregular flights, the public security organs will impose penalties in accordance with the "Public Security Administration Punishment Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "Interim Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Flight" and other laws and regulations. If a crime is constituted, criminal liability will be pursued in accordance with the law.

1. Flying drones should be registered with real names

According to the provisions of the "Regulations", owners of civil unmanned aerial vehicles shall register their real names in accordance with the law, regardless of type and weight, and shall register their drones with real names before flying.

The real-name registration process is as follows:

Download the Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Integrated Management Platform (UOM)--Real-name registration--Log in and enter the homepage--Click on the upper right corner to register management--Real-name registration--Register brand drone--Verify owner information--Scan the QR code with your mobile phone to verify your face--Select the manufacturer name--Select the model and other related information (the serial number needs to be entered manually)--Upload photos as required--Complete registration.

2. Drones flying in these areas must be declared.

Article 19 of the "Regulations" stipulates: Airspace above 120 meters in true altitude, air restricted areas, air restricted areas and surrounding airspace, military aviation ultra-low-altitude flight airspace, airports and surrounding areas, military restricted areas, important revolutionary memorials and other areas are set as controlled airspace. If you need to fly within the controlled airspace, you must submit a flight application to the air traffic control agency of the corresponding flight control zone in advance, and you can only fly after obtaining permission.

(I) Air control areas include:

1. Airports and surrounding areas within a certain range;

2. Areas within a certain range on the national boundary, actual control line, and border line on our side;

3. Military restricted areas, military management areas, supervision sites and other confidential units and surrounding areas within a certain range;

4. Important military facilities protection areas, nuclear facility control areas, production and storage areas of flammable and explosive dangerous goods, and large storage areas of important combustible materials;

5. Power plants, substations, gas stations, water supply plants, public transportation hubs, aviation power hubs, major water conservancy facilities, ports, highways, railway electrification lines and other public infrastructure and surrounding areas within a certain range and drinking water source protection areas;

6. Radio astronomy observatories, satellite measurement and control (navigation) stations, aviation radio navigation stations, radar stations and other facilities that require special protection of the electromagnetic environment and surrounding areas within a certain range;

7. Important revolutionary memorial sites, important immovable cultural relics and surrounding areas within a certain range;

8. Other areas specified by the national air traffic management leadership organization. (II) The Regulations specifically set out suitable airspace for micro, light and small unmanned aerial vehicles. Suitable airspace is below 120 meters true altitude (except for controlled airspace), where they can fly freely without submitting flight activity applications.

It should be noted that when organizing flight activities of micro, light and small unmanned aerial vehicles in suitable airspace, such as conducting unmanned aerial vehicle relay flights through communication base stations or the Internet, carrying dangerous goods or dropping items (except for conventional agricultural unmanned aerial vehicle operation flights), flying over gatherings, operating unmanned aerial vehicles on moving vehicles, and implementing distributed operations or clusters, flight activity applications should also be submitted.

3. Flight declaration process

The Civil Aviation Administration of China issued the "Announcement on Matters Related to Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Regulatory Services" on December 31, 2023. The units or individuals organizing unmanned aerial vehicles shall submit flight activity applications through the Civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Integrated Management Platform (UOM) before 12:00 one day before the intended flight.

4. A license is required before operating small, medium and large unmanned aircraft

According to Article 16 of the Regulations, personnel who operate small, medium and large civil unmanned aircraft shall meet the following conditions and apply to the civil aviation authority of the State Council for the corresponding civil unmanned aircraft operator (hereinafter referred to as the operator) license:

1. Have full civil capacity;

2. Receive safety control training and pass the assessment by the civil aviation management department;

3. Have no history of diseases that may affect the operation of civil unmanned aircraft, and no record of drug abuse;

4. Have no record of criminal punishment for intentional crimes that endanger national security, public security, infringe on citizens' personal rights, and disrupt public order in the past 5 years.

Personnel engaged in conventional agricultural unmanned aircraft operation flight activities do not need to obtain an operator license, but they should be trained and assessed by the agricultural unmanned aircraft system manufacturer in accordance with the contents specified by the civil aviation and agriculture and rural authorities of the State Council, and obtain an operation certificate after passing the assessment.

If a person violates the provisions of the Regulations and flies a civil unmanned aerial vehicle without an operator's license, the civil aviation administration department will impose penalties in accordance with the law.

Minors who fly in violation of the regulations will be fined. Persons with no civil capacity can only fly micro civil unmanned aerial vehicles, and persons with limited civil capacity can only fly micro and light civil unmanned aerial vehicles. When a person with no civil capacity flies a micro civil unmanned aerial vehicle or a person with limited civil capacity flies a light civil unmanned aerial vehicle, they must be guided on-site by a person with full civil capacity (who must meet the conditions for obtaining an operator's license).