C-DRONE GUIDE · 23 JUNE 2026
Drone regulations 2026: open category and classes C0 to C6
2026 is the year French drone regulation completes its European transition: national scenarios S1-S2-S3 gone, standard STS scenarios in place, a new order on urban flight, the CATS exam. This reference guide sums up the full framework — categories, classes C0 to C6, obligations — and points to our detailed guides on each topic.
The European foundation: three flight categories
Since Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, all civil drone flights in Europe fall into three categories, defined by risk level rather than by leisure or professional use. The open category covers low-risk flights: under 25 kg, within visual line of sight, at a maximum height of 120 m, no overflight of assemblies of people, no prior authorisation. The specific category takes over as soon as any open-category limit is exceeded — beyond visual line of sight, in populated areas beyond the permitted framework, at night for certain uses: it works by declaration (standard STS scenarios) or case-by-case authorisation (SORA risk assessment, version 2.5 since 29 September 2025). The certified category covers the heaviest operations (passenger transport, large aircraft) and remains marginal.
In practice, almost all leisure flights and a good share of simple professional missions fit within the open category; complex urban or beyond-sight jobs move to specific. To find out where your own project lands, our guide open versus specific category walks through the full decision tree.
Classes C0 to C6: the complete table
The class marking, affixed by the manufacturer, is the entry key to the whole system: it determines where and how a drone may fly. Here is the full mapping in 2026:
| Class | Mass / criterion | Where it flies | Key points |
|---|---|---|---|
| C0 | < 250 g | A1 (overflying isolated people tolerated) | No exam for pure camera-free leisure use; speed ≤ 19 m/s |
| C1 | < 900 g | A1 (no intentional overflight of people) | Online A1/A3 training; remote identification |
| C2 | < 4 kg | A2 (30 m from people, 5 m in low-speed mode) or A3 | A2 exam required in A2; low-speed mode |
| C3 | < 25 kg, < 3 m | A3 (far from people, 150 m from residential areas) | A1/A3 training; geo-awareness |
| C4 | < 25 kg | A3 only | No automation: classic model aircraft |
| C5 | < 25 kg | Specific category, STS-01 scenario | Visual flight in populated areas; C5 kit possible on a C3 base |
| C6 | < 25 kg | Specific category, STS-02 scenario | Beyond-sight flight up to 2 km with observers |
Key takeaway: classes C0 to C4 serve the open category and its A1/A2/A3 sub-categories; classes C5 and C6 are the entry tickets to the European standard scenarios of the specific category. A drone without class marking (older model) remains usable, but under degraded conditions: A1 below 250 g, A3 above.
A1, A2, A3: the open sub-categories in practice
Sub-category A1 (C0 and C1 drones) is the most permissive: you may fly close to isolated people — never intentionally overflying anyone with a C1 — making it the natural framework for sub-250 g drones in inhabited areas. Sub-category A2 (C2 drones) allows flight 30 metres from uninvolved people, reduced to 5 metres in low-speed mode: the favourite working framework of imaging professionals in peri-urban areas. Sub-category A3 (C2, C3, C4) requires flying far from anyone and more than 150 metres from residential, commercial or industrial areas: the wide-open-spaces regime.
Training-wise, every pilot of a drone of 250 g or more (or fitted with a sensor) must pass the free online A1/A3 training on AlphaTango; flying in A2 adds a supplementary theory exam. Professionals targeting the specific category sit the CATS: 40 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes (30 questions for A2 exam holders), 75% pass mark, €30 at the DGAC's OCEANE exam centres, certificate valid five years. Course details are in our guide to A1/A3 training and the A2 certificate.
What changed on 1 January 2026
Three major switches took effect. One: the national scenarios S1, S2 and S3 are dead — the corresponding declarations lapsed on 31 December 2025. Professional operators now work under the European standard scenarios STS-01 (visual flight in populated areas, C5 drone) and STS-02 (beyond-sight flight, C6 drone) via a simple AlphaTango declaration, or under SORA authorisation for bespoke operations. Two: the order of 23 December 2025 has, since 1 January, allowed professional activities to fly in the open category over public space in built-up areas — a small revolution — with no overflight of people and daytime only; the same text extends the préfecture declaration notice from five to ten working days (cerfa form 15476*04). Three: on the exam side, the CATT is no longer issued in mainland France, with no automatic conversion — the reference professional exam is the CATS described above.
One last naming change: the drone "ED number" has been replaced by the FRA number, valid five years. If you still read "S3", "CATT 60 questions" or "5 days' notice" on a website, you are reading an outdated page — sadly the case for much of the French-speaking web in 2026.
Cross-cutting obligations: registration, beacon, insurance, penalties
Whatever the category, four obligations frame every pilot in France. Registration: any operator of a drone of 250 g or more, or camera-equipped, must be registered on AlphaTango and display their operator number on each machine — the procedure is detailed in our AlphaTango registration guide. Electronic identification: a French specificity, drones over 800 g must broadcast an identification beacon, which coexists with the European remote ID of class-marked drones. Insurance: aerial third-party liability cover is mandatory for any professional use under Regulation (EC) No 785/2004, with minimum cover of around €900,000 — see our guide to professional drone liability insurance.
Finally, penalties: flying in a prohibited zone, without training or in breach of the rules carries up to one year's imprisonment and a €75,000 fine (article L6232-4 of the transport code), plus equipment confiscation and related criminal-code offences where privacy is invaded. Checks have intensified markedly since 2024, in cities and at tourist sites alike.
Going further: our regulation guides, topic by topic
This overview sets the framework; each concrete situation has its dedicated guide, kept up to date with the 2026 rules:
- Open or specific category: which one for your flight?
- Registering as an operator on AlphaTango
- A1/A3 training and the A2 certificate
- Reading the Géoportail flight-zone map
- Flying in French cities and built-up areas
- Prior notification for flights in populated areas
- Overflying people and private property
- Night flights: what the law says
- Under or over 250 g: what changes
- Professional liability insurance
- Penalties and inspections in France
One final piece of method: drone regulation moves fast — two major reforms in two years. Before any unusual flight, check the day's zone on Géoportail, and before any professional mission, ask your operator to name the exact framework of their flight (open sub-category or STS scenario). Their answer, precise or evasive, will tell you everything about how serious they are.