UK drone rules, in plain English.
Flying a drone in the UK is legal, cheap to get right and easy to get wrong. This is the short version of what applies to the kit we sell. The authoritative source is the Civil Aviation Authority.
Registration follows the operator, not the airframe. A drone bought second-hand carries none of the previous owner's registration, so you need your own Operator ID before it flies — and if there is an old Operator ID label stuck to the shell, peel it off and put yours on. Every drone we ship arrives with its previous owner's label already removed and its flight account unbound.
Registration: two different things
Operator ID — for the person or organisation responsible for the drone. Required if it weighs 250g or more, or has a camera. Costs a small annual fee, renews yearly, and must be displayed on the aircraft. You need one even for a sub-250g camera drone.
Flyer ID — for whoever is at the controls. Required for aircraft of 250g or more. It is a free online theory test, valid five years, and you can take it as many times as you need. Anyone else who flies your drone needs their own.
Both are issued by the CAA at register-drones.caa.co.uk. Nothing you buy from us includes registration, and nobody can do it on your behalf.
The basics in the air
Keep it in direct sight
Unaided line of sight at all times. FPV goggles count as unaided only if a competent spotter is standing next to you keeping the aircraft in view.
Stay below 120m (400ft)
Measured from the nearest point of the earth’s surface, which matters on hills — 120m above the valley floor is not 120m above the ridge.
Nowhere near airports or airfields
Flight restriction zones extend well beyond the fence and include a 5km protected corridor off the runway ends. Flying in one without permission is a criminal offence, not a fine.
Distance from people
Never fly over crowds. For most camera drones stay 50m from anyone not involved in the flight; sub-250g aircraft may fly closer but must never fly over an assembly of people.
Respect privacy
A camera drone makes you a data controller the moment you record identifiable people. Do not film into gardens or windows, and do not hover over someone’s property to get the shot.
Weight matters more than anything else
The rules step up sharply at 250g and again at 900g. A sub-250g drone can be flown in built-up areas and closer to uninvolved people; above that you are into the 50m rule and out of most parks in practice. Check the actual take-off weight of the unit you buy — fitting a bigger battery or a heavier gimbal to a 249g aircraft can push it over the line and change which rules apply to you.
Every drone listing on our site gives the take-off weight as tested, with the battery that ships with it.
FPV and racing quads
FPV flying is not exempt from line-of-sight rules. Wearing goggles means you need a competent spotter beside you who is watching the aircraft directly and can tell you to bring it back. Analogue and digital video transmitters must be on a permitted band and within the power limits for the UK — a VTX bought abroad may well not be.
The 5.8GHz video links we sell are UK-legal as supplied. If you flash a different firmware or raise the transmit power, that is on you.
Insurance
Recreational flying of a sub-20kg drone does not legally require insurance, but public liability cover costs very little and a drone through a car windscreen does not. Any flight that is commercial — paid work, or footage used for a business, including your own — does require it, and a club membership is often the cheapest way to get cover.
Where to check properly
The CAA's Drone and Model Aircraft Code is the authoritative source, and the Drone Assist app shows live flight restriction zones before you launch. Rules change; this page is a summary written for buyers, not legal advice, and the operator's duty is always the operator's.
Every drone order from us includes a printed quick-reference card with the current limits on it. If you are unsure whether a particular unit suits where you want to fly, ask us before you buy.