Unmanned Air Systems: Licensing

The Department for Transport keeps the regulatory framework governing the use and licensing of drones under regular review to ensure it remains proportionate, effective and fit for purpose.

In 2023, the Department commissioned the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to review and streamline the regulatory framework for drones carried over from our membership of the European Union. The aim of that review was to simplify legislation and unlock the benefits of drones for the UK, while maintaining safety and security. The CAA ran a consultation, which received 3499 responses and concluded in 2025.

The Government is taking forward a number of actions informed by the outcome of this review, including updates to the regulatory framework through the Unmanned Aircraft (Amendment) Regulations 2025. These introduce new additional requirements for the registration of drones with cameras, and the introduction of geo-awareness and remote identification to improve safety, security and accountability.

On 5 May, the Government announced an investment of £20.5m in a world-leading Hybrid Remote ID system to meet future security and airspace needs and improve traceability and accountability of drone operations. This will allow authorised authorities to identify and track drones and their operators in real time and access historic records to tackle illegal and unsafe drone use. We are also introducing enhanced identity verification by linking drone registration records to verified real-world identities. We are also investing more than £26m this year to drive smarter regulation and make it easier for drones to be used in everyday public services and bring economic growth to the UK.