Are DJI drones still banned? (2026)

As of December On October 23, 2025, the US Federal Communications Commission banned Chinese drone maker DJI from importing any new drones into the United States. This may seem like you can’t afford a DJI drone right now, but that’s not true. Head over to Amazon and the entire DJI drone range is still on sale. So what gives? Are they banned or not?

The key word in the previous paragraph was any new Drone. Nothing DJI has made in the past is banned. No one takes your drone away. It is still perfectly legal to fly a drone. And this is not so only DJI ban. It’s a ban on foreign-made drones, which include those from companies like DJI, Autel Robotics, HoverAir, and others. DJI being featured in the headlines has more to do with its market dominance than with the way the rules are written.

I would say that with the largest competitor removed from the market, US-based companies are starting to pounce on new drones. We actually once said that about Skydio, and we loved the Skydio drone we tested, but Skydio has since pivoted away from the consumer market.

No new drones

Courtesy of DJI

While it’s good news that the old stuff is still on sale, it’s unlikely any new drones will arrive.

To be sold in the United States, anything that uses RF components must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Drones use radio frequencies while flying, so they fall under the jurisdiction of the FCC. Since none of the drone companies have received the security review they need by an authorized US agency, they have all been placed on the so-called covered list. The companies on the covered list do not have approval to import products into the United States, which means they are effectively banned.

There’s some evidence that the wheels are turning somewhere, in a way that could hold good news for drone consumers. Last week, the FCC amended its covered list to exempt drones and components that have already been approved by the Defense Contract Management Agency’s UAS Blue List. The FCC says in its public statement, “The War Department has determined that the critical components of drones and drones listed on the Defense Contract Management Agency’s (DCMA) Blue Drone List do not currently present unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or to the safety or security of American persons.”

For the most part, this doesn’t really impact consumer drones, unless you’re in the market for a $13.6k Parrot Anafi USA Gov thermal drone, but it’s better than silence, which is the main thing we heard before the ban in December.