Buying a drone
Can you still buy DJI drones in the US?
As of July 2026, yes for already-authorized models, but new DJI models can no longer clear FCC authorization for US sale. As of the latest reporting on July 22, 2026: you can still buy DJI models that already received FCC authorization, and every DJI drone already in the US remains legal to own and fly (nothing is grounded or recalled). But new DJI models can no longer get the FCC authorization needed for legal US import and sale, under NDAA Section 1709 and the FCC Covered List, effective late December 2025. The FCC has since proposed extending the block to already-approved models and to rebranded DJI drones, so this is a moving situation. Check the date before you act.
Find out instantly when it changes.
As of the most recent reporting, rechecked on July 26, 2026, the honest answer is a qualified yes, and it is changing. This is a regulatory status, so the date matters more than usual.
Here is where it stands. DJI is on the FCC Covered List, added in late December 2025 under Section 1709 of the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which directed the FCC to add DJI and Autel Robotics to the list after no federal security audit was completed by the deadline. Being on the Covered List means new DJI models cannot receive the FCC equipment authorization required to be legally imported, marketed, or sold in the US. UAV Coach reports that models already authorized before then, such as the Mavic, Air, Mini, and Neo lines, can still be imported and sold, and DroneDJ and the legal analysis confirm existing drones are not grounded, recalled, or made illegal to fly.
The situation is actively moving. On July 22, 2026, Reason reported the FCC proposed going further, targeting drones it had already approved and drones sold on shelves now, and cracking down on nine named companies it suspects are re-shelling DJI hardware under other brand names, with proposed fines against those that did not respond. DJI, which controls a large majority of the consumer drone market, disputes the security rationale. So: you can still buy an already-authorized DJI today, existing drones stay legal, new models are blocked, and the rules may tighten. Because this can change again, treat this page's July 2026 date as the as-of and verify current status before you buy.
The DJI status, dated and sourced
Each row is dated to the reporting behind it, because this is a moving regulatory situation. Read the dates: the block on new models is in effect, while the extension to existing models is a July 2026 proposal, not yet final.
- New DJI models cannot clear FCC authorization for US sale.
Pillsbury Law and DroneDJ report the FCC added a foreign-UAS entry to its Covered List effective late December 2025, so new foreign-made drones, including new DJI and Autel models, cannot receive the FCC authorization required to be legally imported, marketed, or sold in the US.
- The trigger was NDAA Section 1709 and a missed audit deadline.
UAV Coach explains Section 1709 of the FY2025 NDAA directed the FCC to add DJI and Autel to the Covered List unless a federal agency completed a security audit by December 23, 2025; no public audit was completed, so the restriction took effect automatically.
Where the DJI question stands
Each stance is attributed to who holds it. The situation is genuinely unsettled, so the honest posture is dated and hedged.
New DJI models blocked; existing ones legal
Since late December 2025, new DJI models cannot clear FCC authorization for US sale, while already-authorized models can still be sold and every DJI drone already here stays legal to own and fly. This is the settled part, attributed to the FCC action and the reporting on it.
The FCC may extend the block (July 2026)
As of July 22, 2026, the FCC has proposed extending the restriction to already-approved models and cracking down on rebranded DJI drones. This is a proposal, not final rule, attributed to Reason's reporting; it could change what is buyable.
A moving target: check the date
Because this is regulatory and actively changing, DEPLOY stamps this answer to its July 2026 as-of and states plainly that the situation can shift again. Verify current status before you buy, rather than treating any single date as permanent.
How we know this
This answer is built from primary reporting and legal analysis of the FCC action: DroneDJ (January 2026), Pillsbury Law's analysis of the Covered List, UAV Coach's ban guide, and Reason (July 22, 2026) on the latest proposal. Each is dated. Here are the sources.
This is a regulatory status, attributed to the reporting and dated to it, not a DEPLOY-verified permanent fact. The block on new models is in effect; the extension is a July 2026 proposal. Treat the July 2026 date as the as-of and re-check current status before you act.
Common questions
Are DJI drones banned in the US?
Can I still buy a new DJI drone in the US?
Why can't DJI sell new drones in the US?
Is it legal to fly my DJI drone in the US?
What are rebranded DJI drones?
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