Excellent news for homeowners of DJI drones, Autel drones and different foreign-made drones: the FCC has prolonged the deadline for foreign-made drones to proceed receiving software program and firmware updates from January 2027 to at the least January 1, 2029.
The FCC’s Workplace of Engineering and Know-how issued the extension on Could 8, and it applies to all drones and drone elements that have been licensed to be used in the US earlier than being added to the Lined Checklist in December 2025. For drone homeowners, which means DJI drones which are authorized to fly at the moment may also proceed to obtain safety patches, bug fixes, and compatibility updates for at the least two extra years than beforehand anticipated.
What the unique ban truly mentioned about software program updates
When the FCC added foreign-made drones to the Lined Checklist in December 2025, the principles that adopted created an issue that went past simply blocking new drone gross sales. The revised FCC guidelines at 47 CFR §§ 2.932(b) and a pair of.1043(b) successfully prohibited even minor software program and firmware updates (together with safety patches) for any system on the Lined Checklist. That meant your current DJI drone might have been minimize off from updates solely, probably leaving it susceptible to safety exploits with none solution to repair them.
In January 2026, the FCC issued a short lived waiver permitting current drones to maintain receiving updates till January 1, 2027. With this newest Could 8 extension, that deadline pushes to January 1, 2029, and expands the scope of what’s permitted. (Beforehand, solely so-called Class I permissive adjustments that are minor updates that don’t alter the core performance of the system have been allowed.)
The brand new waiver extends the permission to Class II permissive adjustments as properly, which covers extra substantial software program enhancements that also mitigate hurt to customers. Each lessons now embrace safety patches, vulnerability fixes, and compatibility updates.
Why that is excellent news
The FCC ban has largely been unhealthy information for individuals who personal drones. However it is a small piece of fine information. In any case, a drone that may’t obtain firmware updates generally is a safety danger within the occasion {that a} safety vulnerability is found however can’t be patched.
It was fairly ironic that sure politicians lobbied to ban DJI drones over safety considerations, and the FCC ban made it so drones might fly however not get software program updates that mitigate any potential safety dangers. No less than we now have just a few extra years of with the ability to replace current drones (and guidelines might proceed to alter and get prolonged by then). And it’s potential the extension turns into everlasting coverage somewhat than a sequence of rolling extensions. In any case, the Workplace of Engineering and Know-how famous it should “as quickly as practicable, suggest to the total Fee that it think about codifying this waiver by means of a rulemaking.”
Within the meantime, we’re nonetheless ready to see how DJI’s ongoing FCC litigation resolves. It additionally affords extra time for companies to judge (and price range for) Blue UAS-compliant options.
The Drone Advocacy Alliance (DAA), which has been some of the lively organizations opposing the ban and which coordinated a public remark marketing campaign forward of the Could 11 deadline, issued a press release crediting the neighborhood response for serving to transfer the needle.
“Greater than 3,000 of you spoke out, telling tales of how you employ your drones and what a ban means for you — excess of virtually another comparable FCC remark interval acquired,” the DAA wrote. “When drone fans make our voices heard in massive numbers like this, we are able to actually make a distinction.”
However whereas the DAA framed the extension as a partial win, it acknowledged that the broader struggle continues.
“Whereas there’s nonetheless work to do, it is a huge step and a win for drone customers within the meantime, whereas the FCC decides whether or not to roll again different parts of its ban,” in line with a ready DAA assertion.
That’s largely in reference to the core ban on new DJI and Autel merchandise coming into the U.S. market. With that (which was introduced on the finish of 2025), new drone fashions from overseas producers nonetheless can’t be bought or licensed within the U.S. underneath the present Lined Checklist guidelines. The extension solely protects drones that have been already licensed earlier than December 22, 2025, which implies drones that haven’t acquired FCC approval as of that deadline can’t be bought within the U.S.
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