Maximum drone altitude in France

What the rules say

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

• General height limit120 mConditional
• Reference datumabove_nearest_obstacleYes
• Category-specific limitsConditional
• Aerodrome-related limitConditional
• Structure exceptionConditional
• Authorised exceedanceConditional
• Conditional limitsConditional
• ExceptionsConditional

What changes the answer

• altitude

  Flight altitude at or below 120 m

• altitude

  Flight altitude above 50 m

• altitude

  Flight altitude below 120 m

• altitude

  Height agl at or above 50 m

• altitude

  Height loss at or below 15 m

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Activation Schedule of Regulated Airspace Portions

  The designated airspace portions are active Monday through Friday, excluding public holidays, during the hours specified in the AIP, except for the Sainte-Léocadie low-altitude helicopter training sector which can be active daily except Sundays.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Aeromodelling association activity requires a prior, published activity location

  Activities conducted within an aeromodelling association require an activity location (localisation d'activité) to be established beforehand. The activity location is published in the aeronautical information, which states in particular the maximum height applicable to the aircraft used for the activity concerned.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Aircraft eligibility for national scenario S-2 above 50 meters

  Only aircraft with a mass of 2 kg or less, or Class C6 aircraft, may be operated at a height of more than 50 meters under national standard scenario S-2.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Arrêté du 19 avril 2019, annexe, point 2 - section overview

  This section establishes a default maximum flight altitude of 120 meters in France, which is lower near aerodromes and active military zones. It requires pilots to check the official Geoportail map before flying and to avoid operating near other aircraft.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Arrêté du 3 décembre 2020, article 8 - section overview

  This section defines the height limits and airspace requirements for BVLOS (hors vue) drone operations in France outside the Open category and aeromodelling associations, including specific rules for aircraft under 2 kg and requirements for operating in controlled airspace.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  ATC Agreement in Other Controlled Airspace Above 50 Meters

  Operations within controlled airspaces other than those listed in paragraph 3° of Annex II at a height greater than 50 meters AGL require prior agreement from the air traffic control service provider.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  BVLOS Height Limit for Aircraft Under 2 kg

  For BVLOS operations of aircraft weighing less than 2 kg, the aircraft must fly at a height of less than 120 meters above the surface, or less than 15 meters above the highest artificial obstacle of more than 105 meters in height within a 50-meter horizontal radius.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Compliance with Published Overflight Restrictions and Marked Establishments

  Unmanned aircraft must comply with published overflight prohibitions and restrictions, including those for establishments with distinctive low-altitude overflight prohibition markings, unless authorized by the establishment's manager.

  Open the requirement

Official sources

• Arrete du 3 decembre 2020 relatif a l'utilisation de l'espace aerien par les aeronefs sans equipage a bord — Direction de la securite de l'Aviation civile
• Arrete du 3 decembre 2020 relatif a la definition des scenarios standard nationaux — Direction de la securite de l'Aviation civile
• Arrete du 19 avril 2019 relatif au contenu de la notice d'information fournie avec les emballages — Direction de la securite de l'Aviation civile

Other drone rules in France

• Do I need to register my drone in France?Registration in France is governed by a published mass threshold of 0.25 kg, alongside the further conditions cited below. Whether it applies to a given flight depends on those conditions, each cited to its rule.
• Do I need Remote ID in France?Remote identification in France is framed by a published mass threshold of 25 kg, together with the aircraft and operation conditions cited below. Whether a given flight must carry or broadcast an electronic identity depends on those conditions.
• Can I fly a drone near an airport in France?Drone flights near aerodromes in France 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 France?Flight over uninvolved people is treated as a higher-risk operation in France: it is available only where the published conditions below — class, mass, separation or authorisation — are satisfied.
• Can I fly a drone at night in France?No. A published rule in France prohibits night operations for the operations covered here.
• Is BVLOS drone flight allowed in France?No. A published rule in France excludes BVLOS for the operations covered here.
• When does a drone operation need authorisation in France?Whether an operation in France 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 France?Remote pilot competency in France scales with the operation: which training, examination or proof of competency applies is set by the published conditions below.
• Do I need drone insurance in France?Drone insurance in France is published with a minimum third-party cover of 0.75 million SDR. Whether cover is required for a given flight depends on the published conditions below.

All drone laws in France