FCC Vote on China Test Labs: 82% of Devices (Oct. 29)

The Federal Communications Commission will vote on October 29, 2026, on a draft order that would stop recognizing test labs in mainland China as of December 1, 2028. Labs in China tested 82% of the devices that sought FCC authorization in 2025, according to the draft. Existing equipment grants would stay valid, and the order does not change the current drone ban.

What Is the FCC Voting On?

Chairman Brendan Carr announced the item on October 7, and the FCC published the draft Third Report and Order in ET Docket 24-136 the next day, DroneXL reports. It sits on the same October 29 meeting agenda as the order on 800 MHz drone spectrum.

The core change: the FCC would stop recognizing test labs located in economies that do not offer reciprocal treatment to US labs. Mainland China is not on the reciprocal list. Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and Japan are among the more than 60 economies that are.

A test lab is a facility the FCC recognizes to measure whether radio-emitting products, such as drones, controllers and chargers, meet technical rules before they can be sold in the US. A Third Report and Order is a later-stage FCC rulemaking decision that finalizes rules in an existing docket.

Carr said the FCC will "insist on fair and reciprocal treatment in international commerce."

How Many Devices Are Tested in China?

Labs in China tested 82% of the devices seeking FCC authorization in 2025, while US labs tested under 4%, according to the draft order. In 2007, US labs handled about 31% of tests and Chinese labs about 13%.

Transition Terms and Opposition

Chinese labs would keep their recognition until the December 1, 2028 deadline. Any new recognition they receive before then would expire on the same date. Equipment grants already issued would remain valid, and the draft includes no individual waiver process.

The proposal drew opposition. China's WTO enquiry point called the rule discriminatory, according to DroneXL. The Consumer Technology Association, the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) and the Alliance for Automotive Innovation also objected, and several commenters asked for a three-to-five-year transition. The FCC gave roughly two years.

The order builds on earlier enforcement. The FCC's May 2025 "Bad Labs" rules removed recognition from 29 labs. In June, the agency found 33 false test reports from one lab, and in August it told certification bodies to tighten screening after one approved the HOVERAir Versa. The FCC's TCB guidance on drone certification is part of the same push.

What This Means for Drone Pilots

The order does not change the drone ban itself. The FCC added foreign-made drones and critical components to its Covered List on December 22, 2025, which blocks new authorizations for those products. For the full picture, see our guide on whether DJI is banned in the US.

What the lab rule changes is the testing pipeline for everything still eligible for approval:

• Camera and accessory lines: products such as DJI's Osmo cameras, which are not drones, are tested in Chinese labs. DroneXL notes the Osmo Pocket 4P was tested by SGS-CSTC in Shenzhen.
• Chargers and accessories: Chinese-made batteries, chargers and controllers would need testing elsewhere for new grants after the deadline.
• US and European brands: companies that test in Shenzhen would need to move testing to a recognized lab, which could add cost and lead time.

Pilots who already own approved equipment are not affected. The change would mostly show up as fewer new products and longer certification timelines after 2028. The vote is scheduled, not final, and agenda items can be amended or pulled before the meeting. Shoppers comparing current options can start with our best drones of 2026 guide.

Sources: DroneXL | FCC draft Third Report and Order | FCC Chairman Carr announcement, Oct. 7, 2026 | DroneLife