As of December 23, 2025, the US Federal Communications Commission has prohibited the import of new drones from Chinese-based manufacturer DJI. While this might suggest that purchasing a DJI drone is off the table, that’s not the case at all. If you check out Amazon, you’ll see that a wide variety of DJI drones are still available for sale. So, what’s the situation? Are they actually banned?
The key term here is “any new drone.” Anything DJI has previously released is still perfectly legal to buy and own. No one is taking your drone away, and you can still fly it without any issues. This ban isn’t just targeting DJI; it actually applies to foreign-made drones in general, including brands like Autel Robotics, HoverAir, and others. DJI gets the most attention in headlines primarily because of its dominant position in the market.
You might think that with such a big competitor out of the picture, US-based companies would be stepping in with new drones. While we once said this about Skydio, which we had a favorable impression of after testing, they have since pivoted away from the consumer market.
### No New Drones
Thanks to DJI
Although it’s great that older models are still available, the likelihood of new drone releases hitting the market seems slim. To sell in the United States, any device that uses radio frequency components must receive FCC approval. Drones operate on these frequencies, placing them under the FCC’s jurisdiction. Since none of the drone companies have passed the necessary security reviews by an approved US agency, they’ve all been placed on what’s known as the Covered List. Companies on this list don’t have the clearance to import products into the US, effectively banning them.
There are some signs of potential progress that could be encouraging for drone enthusiasts. Recently, the FCC amended its Covered List to exempt drones and components that have already received approval from the Defense Contract Management Agency’s Blue UAS list. The FCC stated, “The DoW has determined that UAS and UAS critical components included on the Defense Contract Management Agency’s (DCMA’s) Blue UAS list do not currently present unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States or to the safety and security of US persons.”
For the most part, this change won’t significantly affect consumer drones—unless you were eyeing the $13.6k Parrot Anafi USA Gov edition thermal drone—but at least it’s better than the silence we’ve been hearing in the lead-up to the December ban.
