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London Drone Laws(2019)

London Drone Law

Img 1: Aerial Photography In London

  1. General London Drone Laws
  2. Drone Permits In London
  3. Brining Your Drone On Airplanes Guide
  4. Buying Drones In London
  5. Drone Travel Guide Articles
  6. Contact Information For Questions

Drone laws are constantly changing. To stay up to date on the latest drone laws changes, sign up for an account to receive drone law notifications by clicking here

General London Drone Laws

Drone use is allowed in London, but there are several drone laws that need to be followed when flying in the country. Operators must ensure that they follow the following drone laws when flying in London,

  • you are responsible for flying your drone in a safe manner
  • you must keep the drone in your direct sight at all times while it is flying, so that you can ensure that it does not collide with anything, especially other aircraft
  • you must not endanger anyone, or any thing with your drone, including any articles that you drop from it
  • you must not fly more than 400ft above the surface. If flying over hilly/undulating terrain or close to a cliff edge, this may be interpreted as being a requirement to remain within a distance of 400ft from the surface of the earth
  • you must not fly within the Flight Restriction Zone of a protected aerodrome
  • if your drone weighs more than 7kg, additional rules apply if you fly in certain types of airspace.
  • If your drone is fitted with a camera, there are also a number of additional limitations surrounding where you can fly it, and how close you can fly it to other uninvolved people or objects. In order to be able to fly within these areas, or closer than the minimum distances that are in the regulations, you must obtain prior Permission to do so.

Permit Needed For Recreational Drone Use?

A drone permit is not required for recreational drone use.

If you wish to fly your camera drone:

- Within 150m of either a congested area or an organized open-air crowd of more than 1000 persons

and / or

- Within 50m of people or properties/objects that are not under your control then you will need to obtain a Permission in order to do so legally.

Please adhere to the above General London Drone Laws however when flying your drone. (What Is Recreational Drone Use?)

Permit Needed For Commercial Drone Use?

A permit is required for commercial drone use in London. (What Is Commercial Drone Use?)

Bringing Your Drone On Airplanes Guide

For a detailed guide to bringing your drone on airplanes click here. All drones should be brought on carry on luggage if possible. This is because according to the Montreal Convention, airlines are only liable for losses up to ~$1,000 USD. When traveling internationally, theft and lost luggage can be common issues, particularly if your flight has many connections. If your drone is worth more than $1,000 USD and you cannot bring it onto the plane you should consider shipping it with DHL, Fedex, or UPS instead and fully insure the shipment.

You should NOT place drone batteries in your checked baggage. All drone batteries should be placed in a Medium Size Lipo Battery Bag like the one shown here in the link and brought onto the plane in your carry on bag. Lithium-ion batteries are considered “dangerous goods” by airlines and rules surrounding these batteries on planes are EXTREMELY strict due to multiple incidents of these batteries catching fire. Failure to properly pack lithium-ion batteries in a bag such as the one shown in the link above can result in the airline seizing them, you getting fined, or being denied boarding.

Here is some video footage shot by Jason Hawkes Aerial Photography when flying a drone in London.

Buying Drones In London

Read all of our London Drone Laws, and now looking for drones, parts, accessories, or something else? Read our guide for Buying Drones In London. It includes information on drones for sale in London, import taxes, payment options, and shipping.

Drone Travel Guide

London drone laws are up to date as of June 15th, 2019. Please email [email protected] , or click “leave a message” at the bottom right of the screen if you have any questions or comments.