Drones

Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are simply machines that are remotely controlled by a person on the ground. They originate from the military and were used in instances when it was too dangerous to send a manned aircraft.

However, flying drones is now a popular affordable hobby and a tool for business use.

Are drones legal in the UK?

Owning and using a drone is perfectly legal, but you must abide by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) guidance on using drones for both private and commercial use:

Government guidelines for flying a drone

The government set the rules around flying drones in the UK; as these can change you need to refer to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) website for the latest updates:

Page last updated 11 September 2025

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