# Drone laws in Latvia

> Structured, citation-backed drone regulation information for Latvia, published by Drone Assistant from official sources. Every claim below links to the official material it came from. This is not legal advice, coverage is not exhaustive, and the linked official source governs.

> Limited guide. Drone Assistant's coverage of Latvia is still under review, so this page summarises only the published rules we can cite to an official source. It is not a complete statement of Latvia's drone law; check the linked sources or ask the assistant about your own flight.

Canonical page: [https://droneassistant.com/drone-laws/latvia](https://droneassistant.com/drone-laws/latvia)

This Markdown file is a machine-readable representation of that page. It is generated from the same published data; it is not a separate content source.

## Regulatory framework

- Jurisdiction: Latvia
- Responsible aviation authority: [Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia) (CAA Latvia)](https://droni.caa.gov.lv/)
- Framework type: national rules within an inherited framework
- Inherited from: EU/EASA framework — [https://droneassistant.com/drone-laws/europe](https://droneassistant.com/drone-laws/europe)
- Published rules held for this jurisdiction: 67

Latvia applies the inherited EU/EASA framework. Rules below marked as framework rules are inherited rather than uniquely national, and a national rule may add to, restrict or clarify them.

Legal status is stated for every rule below: binding law, AMC/GM (acceptable means of compliance and guidance material), authority guidance or other non-binding material. Guidance is never a statutory maximum in itself.

## Registration and pilot requirements

### Registration

- Question: Do I need to register my drone in Latvia?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: Whether a drone or its operator must be registered before flying, and under which threshold.

Registration in Latvia 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.

Published figures:

- Weight threshold: 0.25 kg (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: certified, open, specific.

What changes the answer:

- Flight altitude below 120 m (altitude)
- Kinetic energy above 80 joules (other)
- Take-off mass at or above 250 g (weight threshold)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Duty to Register and Update Information** (117.5. pants) — binding law; national rule; Primary legislation — binding law. UAS operators, remote pilots, model aircraft clubs or associations, recognized bodies, and geographical zone proposers must provide and keep their information updated in the unmanned aircraft register. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/57659#from=117.+1+pants.+Bezpilota+gaisa+ku%C4%A3u+lidojumu+visp%C4%81r%C4%ABgie+noteikumi&to=117.+13+pants)
- **Eligibility for Recognized Entity Status** (8) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Recognised entity status may be obtained by a legal person whose main place of business is the Republic of Latvia, or by a natural person registered in the Republic of Latvia as an individual merchant or as a self-employed person. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324021)
- **Flight application information requirements** (54) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. A registered UAS operator, authorized representative, or remote pilot must submit a flight application containing operator details, remote pilot details, UAS details, and planned flight details. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/351478)
- **Flight registration in geographical zones** (53) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Before starting a flight or a series of flights in a geographical zone, the UAS operator and the geographical zone manager must register the flight application and coordination decision in the portal. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/351478)
- **UAS Operator Registration Fee** (5) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Registration of UAS operators and certified UAS is a paid service in accordance with the Civil Aviation Agency's public fee schedule. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324422)
- **UAS Operator Registration Validity Period** (6) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. UAS operator registration is valid for one year from the moment the status is obtained or renewed in the register. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324422)
- **Application for Cross-Border Operations under Operational Authorisation** (Article 13(1)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; National binding rule — binding law. A UAS operator intending to conduct a specific category operation under an existing operational authorisation in a Member State other than their Member State of registration must submit an application to the competent authority of the Member State of intended operation. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Article 14 - section overview** (Article 14) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; EU regulation — binding law. This section establishes the mandatory registration requirements for UAS operators and certified unmanned aircraft, defining the thresholds for registration in the open and specific categories, registration location rules, and the obligation to display the registration number. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)

Limitations of this coverage:

- Binding law and official guidance disagree on registration.digital_registration_available; the binding position is published.
- Binding law and official guidance disagree on registration.required; the binding position is published.
- 1 dimension(s) of this topic are not expressed in a machine-resolvable way by the published corpus and are reported UNKNOWN, never FALSE.

Last verified: 2026-09-07.

### Remote identification

- Question: Do I need Remote ID in Latvia?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: Whether aircraft must carry or broadcast an electronic identity, and in which form.

Remote identification in Latvia 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.

Published figures:

- Weight threshold: 25 kg (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: a1, a2, a3, open.

What changes the answer:

- Flight altitude below 120 m (altitude)
- Take-off mass below 25 kg (weight threshold)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Flight application information requirements** (54) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. A registered UAS operator, authorized representative, or remote pilot must submit a flight application containing operator details, remote pilot details, UAS details, and planned flight details. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/351478)
- **Active remote identification and geo-awareness for Class C1 UAS** (UAS.OPEN.020(5)(d)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; National binding rule — binding law. Class C1 unmanned aircraft must be operated with an active and updated direct remote identification system and geo-awareness function. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **ANSI/CTA-2063 Compliant Serial Number** (Annex Part 6 (2)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; EU regulation — binding law. A direct remote identification add-on must have a physical serial number compliant with standard ANSI/CTA-2063, legibly affixed to the add-on and its packaging or user's manual. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Article 40 - section overview** (Article 40) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; National binding rule — binding law. Article 40 defines the conditions under which a UAS must be certified, outlines compliance requirements for certified and non-certified UAS in the specific category, and mandates unique serial numbers and remote identification systems for certain operations. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Article 6 - section overview** (Article 6) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; EU regulation — binding law. This section establishes the obligations of manufacturers when placing UAS or remote identification add-ons on the Union market, including conformity assessments, CE marking, documentation retention, product labeling, and corrective actions. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Broadcast Data Tamper Protection** (Annex Part 6 (4)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; EU regulation — binding law. A direct remote identification add-on must ensure that the user cannot modify the serial number, UA geographical position and height, route course and ground speed, and pilot position or take-off point. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Direct Remote Identification** (Annex Part 3 (14)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; EU regulation — binding law. A class C2 UAS must have a direct remote identification that allows the upload of the UAS operator registration number required in accordance with Article 14 of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, performs a consistency check on that registration string, and broadcasts directly and periodically in real time throughout the flight — using an open and documented transmission protocol receivable by existing mobile devices within range — at least the UAS operator registration number and Member State verification code, the unique serial number of the UA, the time stamp, the geographical position of the UA and its height above the surface or take-off point, the route course and ground speed, the geographical position of the remote pilot or, if not available, the take-off point, and an indication of the emergency status of the UAS; the direct remote identification must also reduce the ability of tampering with its functionality. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **EU: for UAS operations requiring a certificate or declaration for design, Annex VI occurrences include remote ID broadcast failure, geographical zone infringement and collisions or near collisions** (Annex VI, points 1 to 5) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; EU regulation — binding law. In the operation of UAS for which a certificate or declaration for design is required, the Annex VI occurrences include: inability to broadcast the remote identification or aircraft identification; geographical zones infringements, where UAS operations are not permitted, or the required flight authorisation was not obtained; and a collision or a near collision on the ground or in the air, with another aircraft, terrain or obstacle. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/1821/oj)

Limitations of this coverage:

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

Last verified: 2026-10-02.

### Remote pilot competency

- Question: What training do I need to fly a drone in Latvia?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: What training, examination or proof of competency a remote pilot must hold.

Remote pilot competency in Latvia scales with the operation: which training, examination or proof of competency applies is set by the published conditions below.

Published figures:

- Minimum age: 16 years (binding law)
- Weight-based trigger: 0.25 kg (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: a1, a2, a3, open.

What changes the answer:

- Flight altitude at or below 120 m (altitude)
- Examination questions at or above 30 questions (other)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Approval of Changes to Scope of Activity** (24) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Changes to the scope of activity of a recognized entity may only be implemented after they have been approved by the Civil Aviation Agency. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324021)
- **Authorized Entities for Remote Pilot Training and Testing** (43) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Theoretical knowledge refresher training and practical skills testing for remote pilots must be provided only by a recognized entity or an authorized UAS operator. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324358)
- **Eligibility for Recognized Entity Status** (8) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Recognised entity status may be obtained by a legal person whose main place of business is the Republic of Latvia, or by a natural person registered in the Republic of Latvia as an individual merchant or as a self-employed person. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324021)
- **Exam Invigilator Age Requirement** (12) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. A person who has reached at least 18 years of age may act as invigilator at in-person remote pilot theoretical knowledge examinations. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324021)
- **Familiarization with Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC)** (4) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Applicants for a model aircraft club flight permit must familiarize themselves with the Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) published on the Civil Aviation Agency website before submitting their application. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/326210)
- **Insurance Requirement for Practical Training Entities** (10.7) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Applicants wishing to conduct practical training and skills assessment in the specific category must submit an insurance policy to the Civil Aviation Agency. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324021)
- **Mandatory alcohol and drug testing** (117) — binding law; national rule; Primary legislation — binding law. Remote pilots and observers are prohibited from refusing alcohol breath tests or medical examinations for alcohol, narcotics, psychotropic, toxic, or other intoxicating substances. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/57659#from=117.+1+pants.+Bezpilota+gaisa+ku%C4%A3u+lidojumu+visp%C4%81r%C4%ABgie+noteikumi&to=117.+13+pants)
- **Notification of Changes by Recognized Entities** (22) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. A recognized entity must inform the Civil Aviation Agency of any changes to its application documents at least 10 days before the planned changes take effect. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324021)

Last verified: 2026-08-25.

## Operating rules

### Altitude limits

- Question: What is the maximum drone altitude in Latvia?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: The general height limit that applies to drone flights, and what changes it.

Drone flights in Latvia 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.

Published figures:

- General height limit: 120 m (binding law)
- Reference datum: above_nearest_obstacle (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: open.

What changes the answer:

- Flight altitude at or below 120 m (altitude)
- Flight altitude below 120 m (altitude)
- Flight altitude at or below 15 m (altitude)
- Obstacle height above 105 m (altitude)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Coordination for flights exceeding ATZ limits** (71.2.2) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. UAS flights in aerodrome traffic zones (ATZ) that do not meet the VLOS or 50-meter altitude limits must be coordinated with the aerodrome representative. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/351478)
- **Flight application information requirements** (54) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. A registered UAS operator, authorized representative, or remote pilot must submit a flight application containing operator details, remote pilot details, UAS details, and planned flight details. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/351478)
- **Flight limits in aerodrome traffic zones (ATZ)** (71.2.1) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. UAS flights in aerodrome traffic zones (ATZ) are permitted without coordination only if conducted in VLOS at an altitude of up to 50 meters, unless AIP procedures specify otherwise. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/351478)
- **Article 4 - section overview** (Article 4) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; National binding rule — binding law. This section establishes the classification requirements for UAS operations in the 'open' category, defining limits on aircraft class, maximum take-off mass, operational distance from people, visual line of sight, maximum altitude, and cargo restrictions, as well as dividing the category into three sub-categories. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Class C0 Maximum Attainable Height Limit** (Annex Part 1 (3)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; EU regulation — binding law. A class C0 UAS must have its maximum attainable height above the take-off point limited to 120 m. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Compliance with Open Category Operational Limitations** (Article 7(1)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; EU regulation — binding law. UAS operations in the 'open' category must comply with the operational limitations set out in Part A of the Annex. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Criteria for Determining Unmitigated Ground and Air Risks** (Article 11(4)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; National binding rule — binding law. The risk identification must determine the unmitigated ground risk and unmitigated air risk based on specified operational, environmental, and airspace criteria. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)

Last verified: 2026-08-25.

### Operational authorisation

- Question: When does a drone operation need authorisation in Latvia?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: When an operation needs prior authorisation, and how that authorisation is obtained.

Whether an operation in Latvia needs prior authorisation depends on the operational category, risk class or location: the published triggers below decide it.

Published figures:

- Application model: permit (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: a2, open, specific.

What changes the answer:

- Pilot age at or above 16 years (pilot certification)
- Take-off mass below 20 kg (weight threshold)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Action plan and resolution for Level 2 non-compliance** (20.1) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Upon receiving a Level 2 non-compliance report, the operator must submit a root cause analysis and corrective action plan to the Civil Aviation Agency within 15 days, and resolve the non-compliance within three months. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324359)
- **Approval of Changes to Scope of Activity** (24) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Changes to the scope of activity of a recognized entity may only be implemented after they have been approved by the Civil Aviation Agency. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324021)
- **Commencement of flights under standard scenarios** (13) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. An applicant may commence specific category UAS flights under the standard scenarios in Appendix 1 to the Annex to Regulation (EU) 2019/947, in accordance with points UAS.SPEC.020(1)(a) and (b) of Part B of that Annex, once the portal shows the Civil Aviation Agency's confirmation that the submitted operational declaration has been received and is complete. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324359)
- **Familiarization with Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC)** (3) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Applicants must familiarize themselves with the Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) published on the Civil Aviation Agency's website before submitting an application for a specific category operational authorization or LUC. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324359)
- **Flight limits in aerodrome traffic zones (ATZ)** (71.2.1) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. UAS flights in aerodrome traffic zones (ATZ) are permitted without coordination only if conducted in VLOS at an altitude of up to 50 meters, unless AIP procedures specify otherwise. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/351478)
- **Flight registration in geographical zones** (53) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Before starting a flight or a series of flights in a geographical zone, the UAS operator and the geographical zone manager must register the flight application and coordination decision in the portal. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/351478)
- **Level 1 Non-Compliance Corrective Action** (21.2) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Upon receiving a Level 1 non-compliance report, a model aircraft club or association must submit a root cause analysis and corrective action plan within 7 to 15 days. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/326210)

Last verified: 2026-08-25.

## Airspace and geographical zones

### Aerodromes and controlled airspace

- Question: Can I fly a drone near an airport in Latvia?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: What permission or distance applies around aerodromes and in controlled airspace.

Drone flights near aerodromes in Latvia are governed by airspace and aerodrome restrictions: whether permission is needed depends on the airspace, distance or aerodrome type published below.

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: open.

Rules behind this answer:

- **Coordination for flights exceeding ATZ limits** (71.2.2) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. UAS flights in aerodrome traffic zones (ATZ) that do not meet the VLOS or 50-meter altitude limits must be coordinated with the aerodrome representative. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/351478)
- **Flight coordination in civil aviation safety zones** (58) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. For a coordinated flight in a geographical zone established to ensure the safety of civil aviation flights, the aerodrome or air navigation service provider assesses the application against the coordination procedure within the period set for coordination, which does not exceed five working days. Where changes or risk-mitigation measures are needed, that period may be extended to up to 30 days. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/351478)
- **Flight limits in aerodrome traffic zones (ATZ)** (71.2.1) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. UAS flights in aerodrome traffic zones (ATZ) are permitted without coordination only if conducted in VLOS at an altitude of up to 50 meters, unless AIP procedures specify otherwise. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/351478)
- **State UAS night lighting exemptions** (64) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. State UAS operating in the open category at night may use flashing lights of colors other than green, and certain state investigative or intelligence agencies operating up to 120 meters in uncontrolled airspace are exempt from equipping the UAS with flashing lights. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/351478)
- **In-flight Geographical Zone Compliance** (UAS.OPEN.060(2)(c)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; National binding rule — binding law. During the flight, the remote pilot must comply with the operational limitations defined for geographical zones. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Online Supervision for Remote STS Exams** (Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 374) — guidance / non-binding material; national rule; Authority guidance — not binding law. Veicot tālvadības pilotu teorētisko zināšanu attālinātu eksāmenu standartscenārijiem (STS), atzītajai struktūrai jānodrošina specializēta tiešsaistes eksāmena norises pārraudzība. [Official source](https://droni.caa.gov.lv/atzitas-strukturas/)
- **Observation of the Operating Environment** (AMC1 UAS.OPEN.060(1)(c)) — guidance / non-binding material; EU/EASA framework rule; AMC/GM — acceptable means of compliance or guidance material, not a statutory rule in itself. EASA accepts that the remote pilot observes the operating environment and checks for conditions that might affect safety, such as people, property, vehicles, public roads, obstacles, aerodromes, and critical infrastructure, as a means of complying with UAS.OPEN.060(1)(c). [Official source](https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/easy-access-rules/easy-access-rules-unmanned-aircraft-systems-regulations-eu)

Limitations of this coverage:

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

Last verified: 2026-08-25.

## Insurance

### Insurance

- Question: Do I need drone insurance in Latvia?
- Answer state: Conditional
- Scope: Whether third-party liability insurance is mandatory, and from which threshold.

Drone insurance in Latvia 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.

Published figures:

- Weight threshold: 20 kg (binding law)

Operating categories distinguished by the published rules: open, specific.

What changes the answer:

- Take-off mass below 20 kg (weight threshold)

Rules behind this answer:

- **Duty to report changes in club documentation** (14) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Model aircraft clubs or associations must inform the Civil Aviation Agency of any changes made to their personnel, insurance, airspace coordination, or responsible manager documentation. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/326210)
- **Insurance Exemption for Lightweight and Slow Drones** (3.1) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Compulsory third-party liability insurance is not required for flights with drones that have a maximum take-off mass of less than 250 g and a maximum flight speed of less than 19 m/s. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324377)
- **Insurance Requirement for Practical Training Entities** (10.7) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. Applicants wishing to conduct practical training and skills assessment in the specific category must submit an insurance policy to the Civil Aviation Agency. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324021)
- **Third-party liability insurance for training flights** (33.2) — binding law; national rule; National binding rule — binding law. The recognized entity, UAS operator, or remote pilot must have third-party liability insurance for the drone used during practical training and skills testing. [Official source](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324358)
- **Contents of an Operational Authorisation Application** (UAS.SPEC.030) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; National binding rule — binding law. The application for an operational authorisation shall be based on the risk assessment referred to in Article 11 and shall include the specified operator registration, manager name, risk assessment, mitigation measures, operations manual (if required), and insurance confirmation. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Declared standard scenario operations require confirmation of insurance cover** (UAS.SPEC.020(2)(d)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; National binding rule — binding law. A declaration by a UAS operator shall contain confirmation by the UAS operator that an appropriate insurance cover will be in place for every flight made under the declaration, if required by Union or national law. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Model aircraft under 20 kg are outside the EU aviation insurance regulation** (Article 2(2)(b)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; National binding rule — binding law. Regulation (EC) No 785/2004 shall not apply to model aircraft with a maximum take-off mass of less than 20 kg. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)
- **Operational authorisation applications require confirmation of insurance cover** (UAS.SPEC.030(3)(f)) — binding law; EU/EASA framework rule; National binding rule — binding law. An application for an operational authorisation shall include a confirmation that an appropriate insurance cover will be in place at the start of the UAS operations, if required by Union or national law. [Official source](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624)

Limitations of this coverage:

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

Last verified: 2026-08-25.

## Visual line of sight (VLOS)

Requirement (acceptable means of compliance / guidance material, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)): VLOS is determined by whether the remote pilot can keep the unmanned aircraft in unaided visual contact. EASA guidance treats the maximum possible VLOS distance as the smaller of the attitude line of sight (ALOS) and the detection line of sight (DLOS); anything beyond that is BVLOS.

- Distance: Depends on aircraft size and visibility
- What that means: European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) publishes a method for working this out. The requirement to fly within visual line of sight is itself binding; it is this way of calculating a practical distance that comes from acceptable means of compliance / guidance material, so the result is not a statutory maximum in itself.
- Legal status of the governing material: acceptable means of compliance / guidance material (not a statutory maximum in itself)
- Governing layer: inherited framework (eu-easa)
- Depends on: the aircraft's characteristic dimension
- Depends on: the ground visibility at the site
- Published expression: ALOSmax = 327 x CD + 20 m
- Published expression: ALOSmax = 490 x CD + 30 m
- Published expression: DLOSmax = 0.3 x ground visibility
- Worked example published by the authority: 1 m (rotary wing) — 347 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 1 m (fixed wing) — 520 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 2 m (rotary wing) — 674 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 2 m (fixed wing) — 1010 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 3 m (rotary wing) — 1000 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 3 m (fixed wing) — 1500 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 3.5 m (rotary wing) — 1164.5 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 3.5 m (fixed wing) — 1500 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 4 m (rotary wing) — 1328 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 4 m (fixed wing) — 1500 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 4.53 m (rotary wing) — 1500 m
- Worked example published by the authority: 4.53 m (fixed wing) — 1500 m

- Visual observer: An observer may assist the remote pilot, but the remote pilot remains responsible for maintaining visual line of sight and the operating range is not extended.
  - Legal status: acceptable means of compliance / guidance material (inherited framework)
- First-person view (FPV): UA observers may also be used when the remote pilot conducts UAS operations in first-person view (FPV). In any case, including during FPV operations, the remote pilot is still responsible for the safety of the flight. (acceptable means of compliance / guidance material)
  - The remote pilot remains responsible for the safety of the flight at all times.
  - A UA observer may be used and must be situated alongside the remote pilot.
- Visibility: Visibility is part of the published method: DLOSmax = 0.3 x ground visibility

Layers that apply:

- Inherited (eu-easa), acceptable means of compliance / guidance material, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA): VLOS is determined by whether the remote pilot can keep the unmanned aircraft in unaided visual contact. EASA guidance treats the maximum possible VLOS distance as the smaller of the attitude line of sight (ALOS) and the detection line of sight (DLOS); anything beyond that is BVLOS.
  - Method: The maximum possible distance results from the smaller value of ALOS and DLOS. Anything beyond that is considered BVLOS.

VLOS sources:

- [Easy Access Rules for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Revision from June 2026 - Annex to AMC3 UAS.SPEC.030(3)(e), A.5.2.5-A.5.2.6; GM1 UAS.OPEN.060(4)](https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/easy-access-rules/easy-access-rules-unmanned-aircraft-systems) — European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA); acceptable means of compliance / guidance material, last verified 2026-09-07

## Official sources

- [Likums "Par aviāciju" — Vienpadsmitā¹ nodaļa, 117.¹–117.¹² pants — bezpilota gaisa kuģi un to sistēmas (lidojumu vispārīgie noteikumi, kvalifikācija, atļaujas, reģistrs, gaisa telpas izmantošana, apdrošināšana)](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/57659#from=117.+1+pants.+Bezpilota+gaisa+ku%C4%A3u+lidojumu+visp%C4%81r%C4%ABgie+noteikumi&to=117.+13+pants) — Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia); Primary legislation — binding law; last verified 2026-08-28
- [Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 374 — Atzīto struktūru statusa iegūšanas un uzraudzības kārtība](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324021) — Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia); National binding rule — binding law; last verified 2026-08-27
- [Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 248 — Bezpilota gaisa kuģu lidojumu noteikumi](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/351478) — Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia); National binding rule — binding law; last verified 2026-08-28
- [Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 457 — Bezpilota gaisa kuģu, ekspluatantu, tālvadības pilotu un gaisa kuģu modeļu klubu un apvienību reģistra noteikumi](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324422) — Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia); National binding rule — binding law; last verified 2026-08-27
- [Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/945](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02019R0945-20250624) — National binding rule — binding law; last verified 2026-09-07
- [Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1821 (UAS and U-space occurrences, amending 2015/1018)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2026/1821/oj) — EU regulation — binding law; last verified 2026-10-02
- [CAA droni.caa.gov.lv — Atzītās struktūras (recognised entities)](https://droni.caa.gov.lv/atzitas-strukturas/) — Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia); Authority guidance — not binding law; last verified 2026-09-26
- [EASA Easy Access Rules for UAS](https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/document-library/easy-access-rules/easy-access-rules-unmanned-aircraft-systems-regulations-eu) — AMC/GM — acceptable means of compliance or guidance material, not a statutory rule in itself; last verified 2026-08-22
- [Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 437 — Specifiskās kategorijas bezpilota gaisa kuģu sistēmu ekspluatantu sertifikācijas un uzraudzības kārtība](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324359) — Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia); National binding rule — binding law; last verified 2026-08-27
- [Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 627 — Gaisa kuģu modeļu klubu vai apvienību organizēto bezpilota gaisa kuģu lidojumu noteikumi](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/326210) — Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia); National binding rule — binding law; last verified 2026-08-27
- [Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 436 — Tālvadības pilotu kvalifikācijas noteikumi](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324358) — Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia); National binding rule — binding law; last verified 2026-08-27
- [Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 447 — Noteikumi par civiltiesiskās atbildības obligāto apdrošināšanu bezpilota gaisa kuģu lidojumiem](https://likumi.lv/ta/id/324377) — Valsts aģentūra "Civilās aviācijas aģentūra" (Civil Aviation Agency of Latvia); National binding rule — binding law; last verified 2026-08-28

## Verification

- Sources last verified: 2026-08-25
- Page built: 2026-10-07
- Regulations change. Where a statement says a value is unverified or not published, that describes the official material reviewed so far, not a finding that no such rule exists; please reproduce such caveats as caveats.
- A rule shown here applies to this jurisdiction and to the operation described. Do not generalise it to other countries or to other categories of operation.
- Site map for agents: [https://droneassistant.com/llms.txt](https://droneassistant.com/llms.txt)