Drone operational authorisation 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.

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

What changes the answer

The published rules distinguish the open and specific categories of operation.

• altitude

  Flight altitude above 120 m

• altitude

  Height loss at or below 15 m

• location

  Distance of 30 cm

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Additional conditions for unusual aircraft designs

  The Minister of Civil Aviation may impose additional technical conditions or operational limitations if the aircraft has unusual design or operational characteristics.

  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

  Airworthiness conditions for tethered aircraft over 25 kg

  Tethered aircraft with a mass greater than 25 kg must comply with technical airworthiness conditions notified by the Minister in charge of civil aviation.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Airworthiness Requirements for Aircraft Over 25 kg

  Aircraft with a mass greater than 25 kilograms must comply with technical airworthiness conditions notified by the Minister of Civil Aviation.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Arrêté du 19 avril 2019, annexe, point 4 - section overview

  This section prohibits the operation of unmanned aircraft over public spaces in built-up areas in France, while permitting flights over private property without public presence under specific safety conditions.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Arrêté du 19 octobre 2018, article 6 - section overview

  This article details the requirements for updating, correcting, and invalidating drone registrations in France, including mandatory declarations for modifications, errors, transfers, destruction, theft, or loss, and the prohibition of operating the aircraft until updates are complete.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Arrêté du 3 décembre 2020, annexe, point 1.4 - section overview

  During any aircraft operation, operators must ensure that specific documents, including the activity declaration receipt, design certificate, operations manual, and airspace authorizations, are available on-site and presented immediately upon request by an authority.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Arrêté du 3 décembre 2020, article 4 - section overview

  This section establishes the authority of the French Minister of Civil Aviation to conduct compliance checks and surveillance on UAS operations, and mandates that operators must present copies of all required authorizations immediately upon request, which may be in digital format.

  Open the requirement

Official sources

• Arrete du 3 decembre 2020 relatif a la definition des scenarios standard nationaux — Direction de la securite de l'Aviation civile
• 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 19 avril 2019 relatif au contenu de la notice d'information fournie avec les emballages — Direction de la securite de l'Aviation civile
• Arrete du 19 octobre 2018 relatif a l'enregistrement des aeronefs civils circulant sans personne a bord — Direction de la securite de l'Aviation civile

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 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.
• What is the maximum drone altitude in France?Drone flights in France are held to a published general height limit of 120 m above_nearest_obstacle. The limit is not absolute: the published conditions that change it are cited below.
• 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.
• 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