Flying a drone over people 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.

• PermittedConditional
• ProhibitedNo
• Authorisation requiredConditional
• Separation distance30 mConditional
• Aircraft class conditionConditional
• Weight condition0.25 kgConditional
• Access controlConditional
• Uninvolved person definedConditional
• ExceptionsConditional

What changes the answer

The published rules distinguish the a1, a2, a3 and open categories of operation.

• location

  Horizontal distance at or above 30 m

• location

  Horizontal distance at or above 150 m

The rules behind this answer

• 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

  Conditional Permission for Flight Over Private Space in Built-Up Areas

  Flying over private property in built-up areas is permitted provided there is no public present and the speed and altitude are adapted to limit the risk of the aircraft leaving the private space.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Exception: flight over public space in an agglomeration for the operator's professional activity

  The prohibition on operating over public space in an agglomeration does not apply where the flight is carried out as part of the operator's professional activity. In a populated area (zone peuplée), such operations are additionally subject to the prior prefectoral declaration required by Article 6, 1° of the same arrêté.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Exception: places authorised by the territorially competent prefect

  The prohibition on operating over public space in an agglomeration does not apply at places where the territorially competent prefect authorises open-category operations or operations conducted within aeromodelling associations.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Operations Manual Simplification for Autonomous Tethered Balloons

  The operations manual for autonomous tethered balloons may be limited to describing procedures for protecting third parties on the ground.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Prohibition of flight over public space in an agglomeration (open category and aeromodelling)

  In the open category, or within an aeromodelling association, the aircraft must not be operated over public space within an agglomeration, unless one of the two exceptions in Article 5, 1° applies (operator's professional activity, or a place where the territorially competent prefect authorises such operations).

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawNational rule

  Remote Pilot Safety Judgment During Emergency Deviations

  During emergency deviations, the remote pilot must exercise their best judgment to guarantee aviation safety and the safety of third parties.

  Open the requirement
• Binding lawEU/EASA framework rule

  Article 6 - section overview

  This section defines the criteria for classifying UAS operations in the 'certified' category, which is based either on specific high-risk operational conditions (such as transporting people or flying over assemblies) or on a risk assessment by the competent authority.

  Open the requirementOfficial source

Official sources

• Arrete du 19 avril 2019 relatif au contenu de la notice d'information fournie avec les emballages — Direction générale 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 générale de l'Aviation civile
• Arrete du 3 decembre 2020 relatif a la definition des scenarios standard nationaux — Direction générale de l'Aviation civile
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945Open

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 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 20 kg. Whether cover is required for a given flight depends on the published conditions below.

All drone laws in France