The complete guide to French drone regulations 2026

Who it is for

• Companies, public bodies and agencies commissioning drone missions in France
• Professional remote pilots and operators, French or foreign, flying in France
• Foreign companies and EU operators sending a crew to a French site
• Visitors who want to know what they may legally fly in France

What this guide does not do: This guide does not replace official training or exams and issues no certificate · It does not obtain any authorisation on your behalf and is not personalised legal advice · It does not cover drones of 25 kg or more, the certified category or model-club flying in detail

Contents of the complete guide

1. The 10 rules to know before flying a drone in France in 2026 (free extract below)
2. Categories and decision tree: which framework for my mission?
3. Registering the operator and the drone: AlphaTango step by step
4. Training and certificates: A1/A3, A2, theory certificate for STS and practical training
5. Airspace: reading the Géoportail map, CTRs, P, R and D zones, AZBA, ZICAD and parks
6. Flying in built-up areas: populated areas and the préfecture notification, step by step
7. Specific category: STS-01, STS-02, PDRA, SORA, night, BVLOS and above 120 m
8. Insurance and liability
9. Privacy, image rights, GDPR and data capture
10. Inspections and penalties
11. Foreign operators, visitors and foreign clients: what changes for you
12. Printable checklists: before the mission, on the day, after
13. Templates: consents, letters to French authorities, contract clauses
14. Official sources and keeping up to date

Included: 44 checklist items and 11 decision or reference tables.

Introduction

This guide is written for people who fly or commission professional drone missions in France: companies, public bodies, engineering firms, production and event agencies, and the operators who fly for them. It pays particular attention to readers who are not French: an EU operator sending a crew across the border, a British or American company that has won a contract on a French site, a professional travelling with a drone, or a foreign client ordering aerial work from a French provider. Private users will find the rules that apply to them along the way.

Read it once end to end to understand the logic: in Europe the category of a flight is set by the drone and its environment, never by the type of job. Then use it as a toolkit. The decision tree in chapter 2 tells you which chapter matters for your mission, the checklists in chapter 12 are printable, and the templates in chapter 13 can be copied by replacing the fields in [brackets]. Templates meant for French authorities are given in French, with an English explanation, because French administrations work in French.

The guide is up to date as of 30 September 2026. It reflects the end of the French national scenarios S1, S2 and S3 on 31 December 2025, and the decree (arrêté) of 23 December 2025, in force since 1 January 2026, which opened public space in built-up areas to professional flights in the open category and extended the prior notice for flights over populated areas to 10 working days.

The 10 rules to know before flying a drone in France in 2026

These ten rules cover most of the offences recorded in France. If you read only one chapter, read this one.

1. The category follows the risk, not whether you are paid

EU Implementing Regulation 2019/947 places each flight in the open category (low risk, no authorisation), the specific category (higher risk, declaration or authorisation) or the certified category (comparable to manned aviation). It applies the same way in the 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

2. 120 metres above the ground, no higher

In the open category the maximum height is 120 m above the closest point of the ground below the drone. On a slope, the ground under the drone counts, not the take-off point. An exception exists near artificial obstacles taller than 105 m (chapter 7), and many zones impose a lower ceiling.

3. Operator registration is almost always required

From 250 g, or as soon as the drone carries a camera and is not a toy, the operator (you or your company) must be registered in its EU country of residence or main establishment. In France that is done on AlphaTango. Operators from outside Europe register in the first EU state where they intend to fly. The operator number goes on every drone and into its remote identification.

4. 800 g: a French national threshold

France adds a national rule: drones of 800 g or more must be individually registered on AlphaTango and broadcast a French electronic signal during flight. Foreign operators flying such a drone in France should check this point before arriving (chapter 3).

5. Trained remote pilots

The A1/A3 proof of completion is mandatory from 250 g in the open category. The A2 certificate allows flying closer to people with a class C2 drone. The European standard scenarios require an additional theoretical certificate and practical training. Certificates issued in one EU or EASA state are recognised in France.

6. Never over an assembly of people

Concerts, markets, demonstrations, crowded beaches: flying over assemblies of people is forbidden in the open category, whatever the weight of the drone. Uninvolved people are protected by distances that depend on the subcategory (A1, A2, A3).

7. Cities: no leisure flights over public space, professionals allowed under conditions

Over public space in built-up areas, leisure flights in the open category remain prohibited in France, including for tourists with a 249 g drone. Since 1 January 2026, a professional flight is possible there in the open category, in daytime, never over an assembly and with the distances of the subcategory respected; if it takes place in a populated area, it must be notified to the préfet at least 10 working days in advance.

8. Night flying is prohibited by default in France

Although the EU text allows night flights with a green flashing light, the French airspace decree bans night flights in principle, with narrow exceptions or a prefectoral exemption requested at least 30 days ahead. Aeronautical night starts 30 minutes after sunset and ends 30 minutes before sunrise.

9. Check the Géoportail map before every flight, then the restrictions of the day

The UAS restriction layer on Géoportail is the French reference for the open category. Your home country's app or map says nothing reliable about France. The map does not show everything: temporary zones (NOTAM, SUP AIP), military low-flying activity (AZBA), zones where aerial data capture is banned (ZICAD, a separate layer), national park cores, local bylaws.

10. Flying is not filming

Permission to fly does not include permission to film. Privacy (article 226-1 of the French criminal code: one year in prison and a €45,000 fine for recording, without consent, the image of a person in a private place), image rights, GDPR for professionals and ZICAD zones: the camera carries most of the legal risk.

Frequently asked questions

How do I receive the guide?

Right after payment you are redirected to the complete guide's page. Bookmark it, or print it to PDF (Ctrl+P or Cmd+P, “Save as PDF”). Stripe also emails you the receipt.

Do I get an invoice?

Yes: Stripe generates the invoice and emails it. You can enter your company name and VAT number at checkout.

Is the guide kept up to date?

Yes. The guide's page is updated when the rules change; your access stays valid and you always read the latest version.

Does this guide replace the official texts or a training course?

No. C-DRONE is neither the French civil aviation authority (DGAC) nor a training organisation: the guide explains and organises the paperwork, with links to the official sources, which alone are authoritative.

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