Maximum drone altitude in New Zealand

What the rules say

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

• General height limit121.92 mConditional
• Reference datumAGLYes
• Category-specific limitsNot resolved
• Aerodrome-related limitConditional
• Structure exceptionNo
• Authorised exceedanceConditional
• Conditional limitsConditional
• ExceptionsConditional

What changes the answer

• altitude

  Flight altitude at or below 400 ft

The rules behind this answer

• Binding lawNational rule

  Altitude Exception Above 400 Feet

  A remotely piloted aircraft may be operated above 400 feet AGL only within a designated danger area, or if it is more than 4 km from an aerodrome, in Class G airspace, and notified via NOTAM at least 24 hours in advance.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Exceptions to the 400 feet altitude limit

  A person may operate a remotely piloted aircraft above 400 feet AGL if in a designated danger area, or if conducted more than 4 km from an aerodrome in Class G airspace with a NOTAM submitted 24 hours in advance.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Low Flying Zone Vertical Limits

  The vertical limits of a designated low flying zone must extend from the surface of the earth up to a height of 500 feet.

  Open the requirementOfficial source
• Binding lawNational rule

  Maximum altitude limit

  A person must not operate a remotely piloted aircraft above 400 feet above ground level unless they comply with the conditions and requirements specified in a transport instrument.

  Open the requirementOfficial source

Official sources

• Civil Aviation Transport Instrument (CATI) 101-1 — technical standards for Part 101 operations — Airways New ZealandOpen
• Civil Aviation Rules Part 71 — Designation and Classification of Airspace (consolidation) — Airways New ZealandOpen
• Civil Aviation Rules Part 101 — Gyrogliders and Parasails, Unmanned Aircraft (including Balloons), Kites, and Rockets — Operating Rules (consolidation) — Airways New ZealandOpen

Known limitations

• Binding law and official guidance disagree on altitude.structure_exception; 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.

Other drone rules in New Zealand

• Do I need to register my drone in New Zealand?Registration in New Zealand depends on the aircraft and the operation: it applies once the published conditions below are met, each cited to the rule that sets it.
• Can I fly a drone near an airport in New Zealand?Drone flights near aerodromes in New Zealand 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 New Zealand?No. A published rule in New Zealand prohibits night operations for the operations covered here.
• Is BVLOS drone flight allowed in New Zealand?BVLOS in New Zealand runs through a defined authorisation pathway rather than an open permission: the published conditions below set out what that pathway requires.
• When does a drone operation need authorisation in New Zealand?Whether an operation in New Zealand 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 New Zealand?Proof of competency is required. Published rules in New Zealand require the remote pilot to hold the competency described below before operating.

All drone laws in New Zealand