DJI Drone Ban In The United States

USPA NEWS - The United States is poised to implement a DJI drone ban, spurred by a provision in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which requires the US National Security Agency to conduct a formal risk assessment of DJI (and Autel Robotics) by December 23, 2025.

Notwithstanding DJI's persistent requests for an audit, including formal correspondence to multiple agencies since early 2025, no agency has initiated or completed the review. If the deadline passes without action, DJI will be automatically added to the FCC's 'Covered List,' effectively blocking FCC authorization for new DJI products and halting their import and sale in the U.S.

This may be the last opportunity to purchase a DJI drone in the US; we recommend checking Amazon and B&H Photo for current availability and pricing. Existing DJI drones within the US will remain legal to own, operate, and utilize, with no immediate grounding. However, future access to new models, official parts, repairs, and firmware updates may become limited or unavailable.

This outcome arises from concerns regarding DJI's Chinese origins and potential national security implications, including risks of data transmission or ties to the Chinese government. DJI has long denied these allegations, pointing to independent audits showing no backdoors and features like offline data modes. As the dominant player in the U.S. drone market, with over 70% market share, DJI supports critical operations for public safety agencies, farmers, filmmakers, and hobbyists.

Critics caution that a blanket ban, precipitated by legislative inaction rather than empirical evidence, may disrupt these users in the absence of affordable American alternatives to fill the void.