Drone Licence UK 2026: Flyer ID, Operator ID and Drone Laws

The Operator ID is the UK's drone registration. It shows who is responsible for the drone, and it must be on the drone itself. You need one if your drone weighs 250 g or more, or 100 g or more and has a camera. Below 100 g it is optional.

An Operator ID costs £12.34 and is valid for one year, so you renew it every year. You must be at least 18 to get one. The same Operator ID covers all the drones you are responsible for, so you only need one even if you own several.

How to register

1. Work out which IDs you need from your drone's weight and whether it has a camera.
2. Check the age rules: 18 for an Operator ID, 13 for a Flyer ID on your own.
3. Read the Drone and Model Aircraft Code, the CAA's rulebook for the Open Category.
4. Register on the CAA's drone registration service. You need an email address, a debit or credit card, and details of any insurance you are required to have.

Most people get the Flyer ID and the Operator ID at the same time.

Labelling your drone

You must put your Operator ID on every drone you are responsible for. It is against the law not to. Use the Operator ID, not the Flyer ID. The label must be:

• on the main body of the drone
• visible from the outside, or inside a compartment you can open without tools
• clear and in block capitals taller than 3 mm
• secure and protected from damage

Who should be the operator?

The operator is usually the person who owns the drone, but not always. If the owner is under 18, someone else, usually a parent, must register as the operator. The young owner can still fly with their own Flyer ID. As operator you must make sure that only people with a valid Flyer ID fly your drone.

You do not need a Flyer ID or an Operator ID if you only fly indoors.

Register with the authority

The Flyer ID is the closest thing the UK has to a drone licence. It proves you know the rules, and you need it to fly any drone or model aircraft of 100 g or more. Under 100 g it is not required, but the CAA strongly recommends taking the test anyway.

You get a Flyer ID by passing an online theory test. The test is free and has 40 multiple-choice questions. You need 30 correct answers to pass. Allow at least 30 minutes. You can have the Drone and Model Aircraft Code open while you answer, and you can retake the test as many times as you like.

The Flyer ID is valid for five years. To renew it, you take the test again.

Children and the Flyer ID

From 13 you can get a Flyer ID on your own. Children under 13 also need one, but a parent or guardian must be with them when they take the test. Children under 12 may only fly when someone aged 16 or over supervises them.

Read more: Flyer ID and Operator ID: the full guide

The rules depend on how close you fly to people and buildings, and that depends on your drone's weight and class mark. Some rules apply to every drone.

Drone height limit UK: 120 m

Never fly higher than 120 m (400 ft) above the closest point of the ground. Over hills or cliffs you may need to adjust your flight path to stay within the limit. Keep the drone in direct sight at all times, with a full view of the airspace around it.

Distance from people and buildings

Drones under 250 g, and drones with a UK0, UK1 or C0 class mark, may fly closer than 50 m to people and over people who are not involved. Heavier drones without the right class mark or certificate must stay:

• at least 50 m horizontally from people who are not involved
• at least 50 m from individual buildings
• at least 150 m from residential, recreational, commercial and industrial areas

No drone, whatever its size, may fly over crowds.

Airports and restricted areas

Most airports and airfields have a Flight Restriction Zone. Never fly inside one without permission from the airport. Flying may also be restricted around prisons, military ranges, royal palaces and government buildings, and temporarily during events such as airshows and festivals. Check the NATS drone restriction map or a drone app before you fly. Some restrictions, especially short-notice ones, are not shown on the map.

Local byelaws can limit flying in parks and other public places, and some Sites of Special Scientific Interest are restricted. To take off or land on private land, you need the landowner's permission.

Flying at night

Since 1 January 2026, any drone flown at night must have a green flashing light switched on for the whole flight. New drones with a UK1, UK2, UK3, UK5 or UK6 class mark have the light built in. Smaller and older drones may need one fitted.

NATS drone restriction map · Read the official rules

Tourists can fly drones in the UK, but only with UK IDs. The CAA does not recognise drone registrations or qualifications from other countries, including EU registrations and the US FAA's TRUST certificate.

Before you fly, get a UK Flyer ID if your drone weighs 100 g or more. Add a UK Operator ID if it weighs 250 g or more, or 100 g or more with a camera. Both are done online on the CAA's registration service, so you can sort them out before the trip. The Operator ID needs a debit or credit card and costs £12.34. Remember to put the Operator ID label on the drone.

A drone with a European C class mark can be flown under the matching UK class until 31 December 2027. After that it counts as a legacy drone, and its weight decides the rules.

If you plan more advanced flying, you also need any further qualifications or authorisations that the type of flying requires.

Since 1 January 2026, a drone under 250 g is not automatically free of rules. Popular mini drones, such as those from the DJI Mini series, weigh just under 250 g and have a camera, so they need both a Flyer ID and an Operator ID.

• Under 100 g: no IDs required, but the CAA recommends the Flyer ID test.
• 100 g to under 250 g, with a camera: Flyer ID and Operator ID required.
• 100 g to under 250 g, without a camera: Flyer ID required, Operator ID optional.

The advantage of a drone under 250 g is where you can fly it. It may fly closer than 50 m to people, over people who are not involved, and in residential, recreational, commercial and industrial areas. It may still never fly over crowds, above 120 m or inside a Flight Restriction Zone without permission.

The Open Category rules on this page apply whether you fly for fun or for work. If you fly commercially, you must also have third-party insurance.

To fly a heavier drone closer to people, you need the A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC). It gives access to the Near People (A2) sub-category. You get it from a CAA-approved training provider after self-directed practical training and a theory test of at least 30 multiple-choice questions. You need a Flyer ID first, and the certificate is valid for five years.

Drones with a UK5 or UK6 class mark, and flights outside the Open Category limits, need an Operational Authorisation from the CAA.

If you fly for recreation or sport, insurance is optional. If you fly commercially, you must have third-party insurance.

Even when it is optional, liability cover is worth having: a drone that hits a person, a car or a building can lead to an expensive claim. Membership of the British Model Flying Association (BMFA) includes liability cover for recreational flying, and specialist drone insurers offer cover for both hobby and commercial pilots.

Read more: Drone insurance UK: when you need it

It is against the law to fly without the IDs your drone needs, and against the law not to label it with your Operator ID. You can be fined for breaking the rules, and in the most serious cases sent to prison.

Endangering the safety of an aircraft is the most serious offence: it can lead to five years in prison.

New drones sold from 1 January 2026 carry a UK class mark (UK0 to UK6). Until 31 December 2027 you can fly a drone with a European C class mark as if it had the matching UK class. From 1 January 2028 it is treated as a legacy drone, and the rules then depend on its weight.

• 1 January 2026: A Flyer ID became required for drones of 100 g or more, down from 250 g. Source
• 1 January 2026: New drone models placed on the market must carry a UK class mark. Source
• 1 January 2026: Drones flown at night must have a green flashing light switched on. Source

• Registering to fly drones and model aircraft (checked 30 October 2026)
• Get a Flyer ID (checked 30 October 2026)
• Get an Operator ID (checked 30 October 2026)
• Prepare for the Flyer ID theory test (checked 30 October 2026)
• Labelling your drone or model aircraft (checked 30 October 2026)
• Children and parent guidance (checked 30 October 2026)
• Where you can fly (checked 30 October 2026)
• Drone Code: where you can fly (points 3 to 9) (checked 30 October 2026)
• Flying at night in the Open Category (checked 30 October 2026)
• Class marks (checked 30 October 2026)
• A2 Certificate of Competence (A2 CofC) (checked 30 October 2026)
• Regulator calls on new and existing drone users to learn new rules (checked 30 October 2026)