The Countering CCP Drones Act blocks new drone models from DJI and Autel Robotics from entering the U.S. market by adding them to the Federal Communications Commission’s Covered List of equipment deemed a national security risk. It was enacted as Section 1709 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 and took effect when the FCC updated its Covered List on December 22, 2025. Drones already purchased and authorized before that date remain legal to own and fly. What the law shuts off is the pipeline for new models.1Federal Communications Commission. FCC Updates Covered List to Add Certain UAS and UAS Components
How the Ban Actually Works
The Act amends the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 by placing specific drone manufacturers on the FCC’s Covered List, a federal registry of telecommunications equipment considered an unacceptable security risk.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 47 USC 1601 – Determination of Communications Equipment or Services Once a product category is on that list, a separate 2021 statute, the Secure Equipment Act, prohibits the FCC from reviewing or approving any new equipment authorization applications for those products.3Federal Communications Commission. FCC Fact Sheet – Protecting Against National Security Threats
Without FCC equipment authorization, a manufacturer cannot legally import, market, or sell new device models in the United States. Every device that transmits radio signals needs that certification before it can operate on American airwaves. So Congress did not have to build a new regulatory framework or create new penalties. The Act simply routes DJI and Autel through machinery already used against telecom equipment from Huawei and ZTE, and the ban follows automatically.
Who and What Is Covered
The legislation names two companies. The primary target is Shenzhen Da-Jiang Innovations Sciences and Technologies Company Limited, known as DJI, the world’s dominant consumer and commercial drone manufacturer. The second is Autel Robotics, another Chinese-based company with growing U.S. market share. The restrictions reach beyond the parent companies to include any subsidiary, affiliate, partner, joint venture, or entity with a technology-sharing or licensing agreement with either manufacturer.4Congress.gov. H.R. 2864 – Countering CCP Drones Act
The scope also goes past complete drone units. The FCC’s Covered List determination includes UAS critical components and associated software:
- Data transmission devices and communications systems
- Flight controllers and navigation systems
- Ground control stations and UAS controllers
- Sensors and cameras
- Batteries and battery management systems
- Motors
Because individual parts that transmit, receive, or process radio signals are covered, third parties cannot easily build new products around DJI or Autel components and obtain FCC authorization for them.5Federal Communications Commission. Covered List FAQs – UAS and UAS Critical Components
Can You Still Fly the Drone You Already Own
Yes. The FCC’s statement on the December 2025 Covered List update said the decision “does not impact a consumer’s ability to continue using drones they previously purchased or acquired” and does not “prevent retailers from continuing to sell, import, or market device models approved earlier” through the FCC’s equipment authorization process. The restrictions apply to new device models that have not yet received authorization.1Federal Communications Commission. FCC Updates Covered List to Add Certain UAS and UAS Components
In practical terms, if you bought a DJI Mavic 3 or an Autel EVO II before December 22, 2025, you can still fly it. Retailers can continue selling existing stock of previously authorized models. The secondhand market for these drones remains legal. There is no requirement to retire or destroy drones you already own.
One caveat matters. The FCC retains the authority to retroactively revoke previously granted equipment authorizations if it decides the security risk warrants it. That had not happened as of early 2026, but if it does, the practical effect would be to restrict sale and potentially the legal operation of models that were previously cleared.
What It Means for Pilots Going Forward
The FAA has not issued new restrictions on recreational or commercial Part 107 operations for existing DJI or Autel drones. If you hold a Part 107 certificate and use an already-authorized DJI drone for paid work like real estate photography, infrastructure inspection, or agricultural mapping, that remains legal.
The longer-term problem is ecosystem erosion. Manufacturers on the Covered List cannot bring new models to the U.S. market, so over time there is no access to improved cameras, longer battery life, better obstacle avoidance, or new software features from DJI and Autel. Firmware and software updates for existing models are not explicitly banned by the Act, but ongoing manufacturer support for a product line with no future U.S. sales is uncertain. Commercial operators who rely heavily on DJI fleets should be thinking about replacement timelines now. The market for authorized alternatives is still maturing, and lead times for some domestic or allied-nation platforms can be significant.
What About Federal, State, and Local Agencies
Federal agency restrictions are a separate track from the Countering CCP Drones Act and are broader. The American Security Drone Act, enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, prohibits executive agencies from purchasing drones manufactured or assembled by covered foreign entities and separately bars them from operating such drones, including through contracted services.6Congress.gov. S.473 – American Security Drone Act of 2023
That law also prohibits the use of federal funds, whether through contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements, for procuring or operating covered foreign drones. The funding restriction reaches state and local agencies because many public safety and infrastructure programs run on federal grant dollars. A police department that bought a DJI fleet with a homeland security grant cannot use future grant money to maintain, buy parts for, or operate those drones once the prohibition takes full effect.6Congress.gov. S.473 – American Security Drone Act of 2023
A November 2025 White House memorandum further requires federal agencies to treat drones as both aircraft and information technology systems, applying information security safeguards to any data the drone collects or transmits.7The White House. M-26-02 – Ensuring Government Use of Secure Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Supporting United States Producers For agencies replacing banned fleets, the Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue UAS Cleared List is the standard starting point for vetted, NDAA-compliant alternatives.8Defense Innovation Unit. DIU’s Blue UAS List to Transition to DCMA No dedicated federal grant program currently reimburses local agencies for replacing DJI or Autel drones.
Where the Law Could Go Next
The current statute names DJI and Autel Robotics specifically, but a proposed amendment to Section 1709 would broaden the reach. It would require a national security agency to evaluate, within one year of enactment, whether drones and cameras designed, manufactured, or supplied by any entity controlled by a foreign adversary pose an unacceptable security risk. If no determination is made by the deadline, the FCC must automatically add all such equipment to the Covered List.9House of Representatives. Amendment to Section 1709 of the National Defense Authorization Act
The proposed expansion would also reach equipment using radio frequency bands commonly used by drones, including 5030–5091 MHz and 5150–5850 MHz. If enacted, the restriction would capture manufacturers beyond the two currently named, potentially affecting companies across multiple countries that fall under the “foreign adversary” definition. For anyone making a purchase now, the practical read is that the restricted list is more likely to grow than to shrink.