In a statement released Monday, the Federal Communications Commission said foreign-made drones posed “unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States” and would be added to a federal blacklist that restricts their sale, while allowing limited case-by-case exemptions approved by the Pentagon or the Department of Homeland Security.
Meanwhile, the decision means new drones produced by DJI, the Chinese company that manufactures most of the world’s civilian drones, can no longer be sold in the United States, although the FCC statement stopped short of naming the company directly.
“The F.C.C. will work closely with US drone makers to unleash American drone dominance,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement.
In practice, the move disrupts the livelihoods of many of the nearly half a million registered US drone pilots who rely heavily on DJI equipment to operate small businesses.
Those drones are widely used for agricultural spraying, land surveys, construction monitoring, and inspections of roofs and utility infrastructure.
“People are pissed — incredibly, incredibly pissed — about the whole thing,” said Vic Moss, volunteer director of the Drone Advocacy Alliance, which represents pilots seeking continued access to DJI products.
Separately, Moss said the administration avoided banning existing drones in part because such a step would undermine emergency services that rely extensively on DJI equipment.
Law enforcement agencies nationwide use DJI drones to locate fleeing suspects, search for missing hikers, and recover victims swept away in floods.
In a related development, the decision stems from a mandate included in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, which required a determination by Dec. 23, 2025, on whether video surveillance equipment from DJI or Autel Robotics posed security threats.
The provision originated in legislation authored by Representative Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, who pledged to “ensure Chinese drones are banned from American skies.”
Many industry participants had expected a detailed technical review examining whether DJI drones contained covert data-sharing mechanisms.
Instead, the outcome appears to have relied largely on existing government assessments rather than a newly conducted audit.
For months, DJI has sought a formal review process and urged US officials to conduct an independent examination of its products.
“We stand ready to work with you, to be open and transparent, and provide you with the necessary information to complete a thorough review,” Adam Welsh, DJI’s head of global policy, wrote this month to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials.
A DJI spokesperson said Monday the company “remains committed to the US market” and added that “no information has been released regarding what information was used by the executive branch in reaching its determination.”
Meanwhile, US drone operators say the ban leaves them with costlier and less capable alternatives.
DaCoda Bartels, chief operating officer of FlyGuys, which connects commercial drone pilots with freelance work, said he has owned every generation of DJI drones since the Phantom V-1.
Now, he said, he faces being cut off from the company’s annual technological upgrades.
“DJI as a company will still be innovating and offering their products in other countries,” Bartels said.
“We just won’t have access to them. That’s unfortunate.”
Bartels said American-made drones can cost four times as much while offering inferior performance.
“They’re half as good,” he said.
By contrast, the decision was welcomed by US drone manufacturers that have lobbied for restrictions on foreign competitors.
“This was a historic decision that will change everything for US drone manufacturers,” Seattle-based BRINC said in a statement, adding that domestic companies were ready “to rebuild the American drone industry.”
Another potential beneficiary is Skydio, a US drone company that previously hired Joe Bartlett, Stefanik’s former national security adviser, as its director of federal policy.
Bartlett now serves as deputy undersecretary at the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, which was involved in the DJI determination.
Skydio declined to comment.
Unusual Machines, a Florida-based drone component manufacturer, also stands to benefit.
Its chief executive, Allan Evans, said the decision gives domestic firms “both an opportunity and a responsibility to build and deliver world-class products as quickly as possible.”
Donald Trump Jr. sits on the company’s advisory board.
The FCC said the policy does not restrict the use of drones already owned or previously approved for operation.
“There will be a window for American companies to catch up,” Bartels said.
“I sure hope that they do.”