Running a commercial drone business

This guide is for any business that flies drones for work. That includes aerial photography and filming, surveys and inspections, and work on farms and estates. It sets out what you must have in place before your first paid flight and what to check before every flight after that.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulates drone flying across the UK. The CAA withdrew the Permission for Commercial Operations (PfCO) at the end of 2020. It has no direct replacement. Flying for work in the Open category does not need an authorisation from the CAA. What you need depends on the drone you fly, where you fly it and what it does.

If you spray crops, drop anything from a drone or fly a drone of 25kg or more, read the section on that work as well. It needs extra permissions.

Register your business and your pilots

Your business needs an Operator ID, and each person who flies for you needs their own Flyer ID. It is against the law to fly a drone without the IDs it requires.

Work out your category and what it requires

UK drone rules sort flying into categories by risk. Start by checking whether each type of job you do fits within the Open category limits.

Check each job, not just your business as a whole. A roof inspection may fit the Open category. A job that needs you to fly beyond your line of sight does not.

If any job falls outside the Open category, you must have an Operational Authorisation from the CAA in the Specific category before you fly it. There are 2 routes:

• PDRA01, a pre-defined authorisation you can use if your operation fits all of its limits
• a UK SORA-based authorisation for operations PDRA01 does not cover

Compare your planned work with the PDRA01 scope below. If any part of it does not fit, apply on the UK SORA route. Your authorisation sets the scope, conditions and limits of what you may do. Read it before each job and do not fly outside it.

The qualification each pilot needs follows from the category they fly in:

• Over People (A1) and Far from People (A3) flying in the Open category needs no qualification beyond a Flyer ID
• Near People (A2) flying needs an A2 Certificate of Competency
• PDRA01 flying needs a General VLOS Certificate (GVC) or a Level 1 Remote Pilot Certificate
• a UK SORA-based authorisation states the certificate your pilots must hold

Pilot certificates come from CAA-approved Recognised Assessment Entities. If you are training a new pilot, check the last date for new GVCs before you choose a course.

Arrange third-party insurance

You must hold third-party liability insurance to fly for work, whatever your drone weighs. Before you buy a policy, ask the insurer to confirm it meets the aviation insurance rules below. Make sure the policyholder name matches the name on your Operator ID.

Drone cover sits alongside the insurance most businesses need by law. If you employ pilots or ground crew, you need employers' liability insurance. Vehicles you drive to site need motor insurance.

Review your cover when you add a heavier drone, take on a new type of work or apply for an Operational Authorisation.

Check the drone and the airspace before every flight

Some rules apply to each drone and each flight rather than to your business. Build them into a pre-flight check that every pilot follows.

Before each flight, check that:

• the drone carries your Operator ID label
• the pilot has proof of their Flyer ID and any certificate the job needs
• Remote ID is switched on where the drone's class or your authorisation requires it
• the flight is outside any flight restriction zone, or you have permission to fly in it
• you have the landowner's permission to take off and land

When you buy a drone, check its class mark. The class decides which Open sub-category you can fly in and whether the drone must broadcast Remote ID. If you fly an EU C-class drone, it counts as the matching UK class only until 31 December 2027. Check how you can fly it from 1 January 2028 before you rely on it for future work.

From 1 January 2028 you must also use Remote ID on more types of drone. Check the list below against every drone in your fleet and plan any upgrades or replacements before that date.

Check airspace restrictions on the day of each flight as well as when you plan the job. Restrictions can be set at short notice, and the software built into a drone may not show them.

If something goes wrong, both your business and the pilot can face prosecution. Keep records of each flight, your pilots' qualifications and your authorisation so you can show what you did.

If you spray crops, drop items or fly a drone of 25kg or more

Spraying, dropping items and flying a drone of 25kg or more all fall outside the Open category and outside PDRA01. You need a UK SORA-based Operational Authorisation to fly, unless the operation falls in the Certified category.

The CAA's drone guidance does not describe the aerial application certificate for drones. Confirm with the CAA how it applies to your operation before you apply for the HSE permit.

The guide 'Spraying crops with drones: what you need before you can' covers the permits, product rules, operator certificates and equipment testing that spraying needs.

Keep your IDs, authorisation and cover up to date

Once your business is registered, insured and authorised for the work you do:

1. Put the renewal dates for your Operator ID, Flyer IDs, pilot certificates and any authorisation in one calendar.
2. Reapply for your Operational Authorisation in the window before it expires.
3. Check your fleet against the class mark and Remote ID dates before you buy or replace a drone.
4. Check your authorisation and insurance before you take on a new type of work.

If your drone records images of people, you may also have data protection duties.