Frequently Asked Questions

There is no drone 'licence' in the UK, but since 1 January 2026 any drone weighing 100 g or more requires two registrations from the CAA: a Flyer ID (a free online theory test) and an Operator ID (£10.33 per year, displayed on the aircraft). Drones under 100 g need neither. Additional qualifications such as the A2 Certificate of Competency or a GVC are only needed for flying closer to people or for operations outside the Open category.

400 ft (120 m) above the closest point of the earth's surface is the maximum height in the Open category, where almost all recreational flying happens. Flying higher requires a specific CAA authorisation. The limit follows terrain — on a hillside it is measured from the slope beneath the aircraft, not from the take-off point.

Overflying property is not trespass in itself, but the rules depend on your drone's weight and class. Sub-250 g drones may overfly uninvolved people (never crowds). Heavier drones must keep horizontal separation from uninvolved people — 50 m in the A2 subcategory, and in A3 at least 150 m from residential, commercial, industrial or recreational areas. You also need the landowner's permission to take off or land, and filming may engage privacy and data-protection law. Local restrictions are shown on UK Drone Map.

It depends on the park. Many councils have byelaws banning drone take-off and landing in their parks, and all eight Royal Parks in London prohibit drones entirely. Overflight of a park from outside it remains subject to normal airspace and separation rules. UK Drone Map's byelaw-parks and Royal Parks layers show which parks restrict drones.

Yes — night flying is legal in the UK under the same rules as daytime, with one addition: since 2026 any drone flown at night must display a green flashing light visible to other airspace users. You must still maintain visual line of sight, which in practice means keeping the drone's lights in view.

Flying in a Flight Restriction Zone without permission is a criminal offence under Article 94A of the Air Navigation Order 2016, punishable by an unlimited fine. Endangering an aircraft carries up to five years' imprisonment. Police have powers to ground drones, demand registration details and seize equipment. 125 UK towns have their centre inside an FRZ — check yours on UK Drone Map before flying.

Only with significant restrictions. Much of Greater London lies within the Flight Restriction Zones of Heathrow, London City, Biggin Hill and other aerodromes, where flying requires aerodrome permission. The Royal Parks ban drones, most boroughs have park byelaws, and central London is a congested area where larger drones cannot operate in the A3 subcategory. Many pilots fly legally in outer-London green spaces outside the FRZs — UK Drone Map's London page shows exactly where the boundaries fall.

For purely recreational flying of drones under 20 kg, insurance is not legally required (though advisable). For any commercial operation — paid filming, surveys, inspections — EC 785/2004-compliant public liability insurance is mandatory regardless of drone size.

A Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ) is a defined airspace volume around an aerodrome in the United Kingdom. FRZs are designated by the CAA under UK aviation regulation and published by NATS in the official UK Aeronautical Information Service. Each FRZ has a specific lateral radius and vertical extent. UK Drone Map displays all FRZs sourced from the authoritative NATS dataset.

CTR (Control Zone): Controlled airspace extending from the surface upward, established around aerodromes with instrument approaches. CTA (Control Area): Controlled airspace above a specified minimum altitude, typically above lower-level airspace. TMA (Terminal Manoeuvring Area): A control area normally established at the junction of airways in the vicinity of one or more major aerodromes. ATZ (Aerodrome Traffic Zone): A volume of defined dimensions established around an aerodrome to protect aircraft in the circuit. All four are published in the UK Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) and are displayed on UK Drone Map.

A MATZ (Military Aerodrome Traffic Zone) is an airspace volume around a military aerodrome, typically extending 5 nautical miles laterally and from the surface to 3,000 ft above aerodrome elevation, with a stub extending along instrument approach paths. MATZs are not mandatory for civil aircraft. UK Drone Map displays all active MATZs sourced from the UK Military AIP.

A TMZ (Transponder Mandatory Zone) is a defined airspace volume where aircraft must carry and operate a serviceable SSR transponder. The UK has several TMZs, primarily around busy terminal areas such as London. TMZ boundaries are shown on UK Drone Map as a reference layer.

These are volumes of airspace with specific activity or hazards. Danger areas contain activities hazardous to non-participating aircraft (e.g. weapons ranges, parachuting). Restricted areas have limitations on flight for specific reasons (e.g. security, environmental). Prohibited areas prohibit flight entirely. All three types are published in the UK AIP and shown on UK Drone Map.

NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) is a notice containing information about temporary changes or hazards in the national airspace system. NOTAMs are issued by the UK Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) operated by NATS. UK Drone Map displays seven NOTAM categories: UAS operations, danger areas, military activity, obstacle warnings, aerial activity, hazards, and general notices.

UK Drone Map loads NOTAM data from the NATS / UK AIS feed. The data is refreshed with each deployment of the app. For time-critical pre-flight checks, always verify NOTAMs directly with the NATS AIS or the official NATS Drone Assist service.

UK Drone Map shows NOTAMs in seven categories: (1) UAS / drone operations, (2) danger area activity, (3) military flying activity, (4) obstacle warnings (cranes, masts, wind turbines), (5) aerial activity (parachuting, gliding, ballooning), (6) aviation hazards, (7) general notices. Each category is a separate toggleable layer.

SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) is the primary statutory designation for the UK's most important wildlife and geological sites. SSSIs are designated by Natural England (England), NatureScot (Scotland), Natural Resources Wales (Wales), and NIEA (Northern Ireland, where they are called ASSIs — Areas of Special Scientific Interest). UK Drone Map displays all SSSI and ASSI boundaries from official open data.

SAC (Special Area of Conservation): European-origin designation protecting specific habitats and species listed in the Habitats Directive, retained in UK law. SPA (Special Protection Area): Protects populations of bird species listed under the Birds Directive, retained in UK law. Ramsar: Internationally important wetland sites designated under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. All three are shown on UK Drone Map sourced from the four UK statutory conservation bodies.

AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) is a statutory designation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that protects landscapes of national significance. In Scotland the equivalent is NSA (National Scenic Area). UK Drone Map displays AONB and NSA boundaries from official agency open data.

Yes. UK Drone Map displays the boundaries of Royal Parks in London and elsewhere as a reference layer. The Royal Parks are managed by The Royal Parks under the Royal Parks and Other Open Spaces Regulations 1997.

Yes. UK Drone Map is completely free to use. There are no subscriptions, accounts, or in-app purchases. All airspace and conservation data is cached locally in your browser using IndexedDB, so the map continues to work offline after the initial load.

Yes. UK Drone Map is a responsive web app that works in modern mobile browsers. It can also be installed as a Progressive Web App (PWA) on supported devices for offline use.

The Preflight tab in UK Drone Map provides an interactive checklist covering standard pre-flight items. The Risk tab provides a risk assessment tool. Completed checklists and risk assessments can be saved with flight records in the Flights tab.

No. UK Drone Map is a reference and planning aid that consolidates data from third-party sources. It is not an official CAA or NATS product and does not replace the NATS AIS, the CAA's official drone guidance, or any legal pre-flight obligations. All data must be verified against official sources before any drone operation.

Airspace: OpenAIP, NATS / UK AIS. FRZs: NATS (authoritative). NOTAMs: NATS / UK AIS. Conservation: Natural England, NatureScot, Natural Resources Wales, DAERA/NIEA. Land: National Trust, The Royal Parks, Forestry England, Forestry Scotland, Forestry Wales. Weather: Open-Meteo. Map tiles: OpenStreetMap, CARTO, OpenTopoMap, ArcGIS Online.

Yes. UK Drone Map covers all four nations: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Conservation data is sourced from the relevant statutory body for each nation (Natural England, NatureScot, NRW, NIEA/DAERA). Airspace data from NATS and OpenAIP covers the full UK FIR.