China Cracks Down on Drone Use: Real-Name Registration, Advance Permission Mandatory

China dominates in drone technology, although using them is becoming increasingly difficult. New regulations on hobby and commercial drone flights are emerging. Effective from January, sanctions for unauthorized drone use have been increased and might be as harsh as prison time.

Starting from May, all drones will require registration with the name of their owner recorded. The owners will have to associate the drone with their government-issued ID or mobile phone.

In restricted cities, the permission must be obtained at least one day before the drone flight. These rules exempt small drones flying at altitudes below 400 feet in certain open areas, but these areas are very limited. Flight data will also be sent to the government in real time.

In March, Beijing's city administration went a step further and imposed a near-complete ban on drones within the capital's borders. Under these rules (which will come into effect in May), drones or their main components cannot be sold, rented, or brought into Beijing. People entering the city from other states will be subject to luggage searches.

Those who already own drones will be exempt if they register them with the police by April 30th; however, they will not be allowed to keep more than 3 drones at a single address. Drones used for specific purposes, such as counter-terrorism operations and research, may be exempt from these rules.

In China, drones were required to be registered and restricted to certain areas starting in 2024. But as the crackdown has intensified in recent months, many drone users say that excessive crackdowns by authorities have led to the halting of most flights, even those for what they consider perfectly legitimate purposes.

China's internet media platforms are filled with stories of people being questioned, fined, detained, and had their drones confiscated by police across the country.