Drone operational authorisation 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.

• Authorisation requiredConditional
• Trigger statedConditional
• Issuing authorityConditional
• Application modeldeclarationYes
• Risk assessmentConditional
• Standard scenario routeConditional
• Declaration routeConditional
• Generic or organisational privilegeConditional
• ValidityConditional
• Repeat operationsConditional
• Digital applicationConditional

What changes the answer

• location

  Distance from people below 500 ft

• location

  Horizontal distance from people at or above 100 ft

• location

  Horizontal distance from people at or above 152.4 m

• location

  Horizontal distance from people at or above 16.4 ft

• location

  Horizontal distance from people at or above 30 m

• location

  Horizontal distance from people at or above 5 m

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Acceptance Letter Requirement for Medium RPAS VLOS Operations Near People

  An acceptance letter is required for Medium RPAS VLOS operations conducted at a distance of less than 500 feet (152.4m) from any person not involved in the operation.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Accessibility of Controlled Airspace Authorization

  A pilot must ensure that the controlled airspace authorization is easily accessible during the operation.

  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

  Applicability of Standard 922

  This standard applies to persons making declarations referred to in section 901.194 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs).

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Authorization Near Military (DND) Aerodromes

  Drone operations within 3 nautical miles (5.6 kilometres) of an aerodrome under the authority of the Minister of National Defence (MND) require authorization from the MND aerodrome authorities.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Availability of Operator's RPAS Operations Manual for BVLOS Operations

  The pilot must ensure that the RPAS operator's RPAS operations manual is immediately available to crew members prior to conducting a take-off or launch for a BVLOS operation under Division VI.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  BVLOS In-Cloud and Low Visibility Exceptions

  A pilot may operate a remotely piloted aircraft in BVLOS in cloud or with ground visibility less than three miles if a declaration under section 901.194 has been made and the manuals allow it, or if conducted under an SFOC.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  BVLOS Minimum Visibility and Cloud Clearance

  A pilot must not operate a remotely piloted aircraft in BVLOS unless ground visibility is at least three miles and the aircraft is operated clear of cloud, subject to exceptions in subsection (4).

  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
• Transport Canada - Where to fly your drone — Department of Justice CanadaOpen

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.
• What is the maximum drone altitude in Canada?Drone flights in Canada are held to a published general height limit of 30.48 m AGL. The limit is not absolute: the published conditions that change it are cited below.
• 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.
• 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