Maximum drone altitude in Canada

What the rules say

Each line is resolved from published facts of Canada. "Not resolved" means the corpus does not answer it in a machine-checkable way — never that the law is silent.

• General height limit30.48 mConditional
• Reference datumAGLYes
• Category-specific limitsNot resolved
• Aerodrome-related limitConditional
• Structure exceptionConditional
• Authorised exceedanceConditional
• Conditional limitsConditional
• ExceptionsConditional

What changes the answer

• altitude

  Flight altitude at or below 100 ft

• location

  Horizontal distance below 200 ft

• altitude

  Flight altitude below 400 ft

• altitude

  Altitude accuracy at or below 16 m

• location

  Distance from aerodrome above 5 nm

• other

  Controlled airspace floor at or below 1500 ft

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Altitude Accuracy in Controlled Airspace

  The remotely piloted aircraft system must indicate the altitude of the remotely piloted aircraft to the pilot with an accuracy of at least +/- 16 m while operating within controlled airspace.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Altitude Exception in Controlled Airspace

  A pilot may operate a remotely piloted aircraft in controlled airspace at an altitude above the limits specified in section 901.25 if authorized by the air traffic services provider.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Altitude Exception Near Buildings or Structures

  No pilot may operate a remotely piloted aircraft at an altitude greater than 400 feet (122 m) AGL, except that the aircraft may be operated at up to 100 feet (30 m) above a building or structure while it is being operated at a horizontal distance of less than 200 feet (61 m) from that building or structure.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Altitude Limit Waiver via Special Flight Operations Certificate

  A pilot may operate a remotely piloted aircraft at an altitude greater than the limits in subsection (1) if conducted in accordance with a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) issued under section 903.03.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Applicability of Controlled Airspace Technical Requirements

  Clarifies that the technical requirements of Standard 922.04 apply to RPAS declarations for operations under CAR 901.69(a) and (d).

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  ATC Authorization for Non-Equipped RPA in Transponder Airspace

  An air traffic control unit may authorize a pilot to operate a remotely piloted aircraft that is not equipped with a transponder and automatic pressure-altitude reporting equipment within transponder airspace under specified conditions.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Maximum Altitude Limit (400 feet AGL)

  No pilot shall operate a remotely piloted aircraft at an altitude greater than 400 feet (122 m) AGL.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Minimum Distance from Uninvolved Persons

  The operation must be conducted at least 100 feet (30 m) horizontally, at any altitude, from any person not involved in the operation.

  Open the requirementOfficial source

Official sources

• CARs Standard 922 - RPAS Safety Assurance — Department of Justice CanadaOpen
• Canadian Aviation Regulations (SOR/96-433), Part IX - Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems — Department of Justice CanadaOpen

Known limitations

• 1 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Other drone rules in Canada

• Do I need to register my drone in Canada?Registration in Canada depends on the aircraft and the operation: it applies once the published conditions below are met, each cited to the rule that sets it.
• Can I fly a drone near an airport in Canada?Drone flights near aerodromes in Canada are governed by airspace and aerodrome restrictions: whether permission is needed depends on the airspace, distance or aerodrome type published below.
• Can I fly a drone over people in Canada?Flight over uninvolved people is treated as a higher-risk operation in Canada: it is available only where the published conditions below — class, mass, separation or authorisation — are satisfied.
• Is BVLOS drone flight allowed in Canada?BVLOS in Canada runs through a defined authorisation pathway rather than an open permission: the published conditions below set out what that pathway requires.
• When does a drone operation need authorisation in Canada?Whether an operation in Canada needs prior authorisation depends on the operational category, risk class or location: the published triggers below decide it.
• What training do I need to fly a drone in Canada?Remote pilot competency in Canada is triggered by the operation and by a published mass threshold of 0.25 kg. Which training, examination or proof of competency applies is set by the conditions below.

All drone laws in Canada