What the Heck Is Happening With Foreign-Made Drones in the US?

What does this mean for consumers? The picture is a bit muddy, but here’s what we know:

If you currently own a drone, you are still allowed to fly it. However, getting replacement parts or software updates may become difficult if stateside supply lines dry up and if companies end support for older models. For its part, DJI told us that it intends to continue issuing firmware updates and providing support for models available in the US. Autel did not respond to our request for comment.

If you’re looking to buy a new drone, you still have good options. At the moment, stock of drones at major retailers like Amazon, B&H Photo, and Best Buy seems to be stable, but it’s unclear how long that will last.

Drones that are made in the US aren’t affected by this new rule. To qualify as “made in the United States,” drones would need to be assembled in the US and have domestic-made parts that constitute at least 65% of the total cost of the drone. Drones that meet this criteria do exist currently, however these models are mostly geared toward government and business use, and they often cost many times what a typical personal-use drone costs. So while you’d think this would be an opportunity for US-based companies to enter or reenter the consumer market, they’d essentially be starting from scratch.

We will continue testing and recommending drones that remain available, but any purchase of a drone in the US now comes with increased risk that it will be rendered unusable sometime in the future.

Given all of the other obstacles to getting and flying a drone — including cost, FAA registration, getting a Part 107 license (if you want to do any work with the drone), and navigating the dizzying web of local and regional regulations to figure out where you can legally fly — this change makes an already somewhat inaccessible hobby into an even more confusing and precarious endeavor.

We’ll be monitoring the regulatory landscape as this ban and its knock-on effects continue to evolve, and we will update our guide as needed.

This article was edited by Ben Keough and Erica Ogg.