[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":354},["ShallowReactive",2],{"en-post-how-high-can-a-drone-fly":3,"en-related-how-high-can-a-drone-fly":317},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"body":7,"category":299,"date":300,"description":301,"draft":302,"extension":303,"image":304,"meta":305,"navigation":306,"path":307,"seo":308,"slug":309,"stem":310,"tags":311,"translation_slug":315,"updated":300,"__hash__":316},"en_posts\u002Fen\u002Fposts\u002Fhow-high-can-a-drone-fly.md","How High Can a Drone Legally Fly? Limits by Country (2026)","Lucas Buzzo",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":288},"minimark",[10,14,17,20,25,28,31,33,37,46,49,52,54,58,65,73,76,79,81,85,92,95,98,100,104,225,228,230,234,237,240,242,246,249,257,259,263,265],[11,12,13],"p",{},"Almost every country with a drone rulebook lands on the same number: roughly 120 meters, or 400 feet, above the ground. That is not a coincidence. It is the altitude floor regulators chose to keep small drones safely below the airspace where manned aircraft, especially helicopters, typically operate. But \"roughly\" is doing a lot of work in that sentence, and the exceptions, waivers, and local quirks are exactly where pilots get fined.",[11,15,16],{},"This guide lays out the legal maximum altitude in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Brazil, with the exact regulation behind each number, when you are allowed to go higher, and what happens if you do not.",[18,19],"hr",{},[21,22,24],"h2",{"id":23},"how-high-can-you-legally-fly-a-drone","How High Can You Legally Fly a Drone?",[11,26,27],{},"In nearly every jurisdiction with modern drone rules, the default legal ceiling is 120 meters (394 feet) to 400 feet (122 meters) above ground level (AGL) for drones under 25 kg flown within visual line of sight. The United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada all converge on this same altitude band, measured from the ground directly beneath the drone, not from the pilot's takeoff point or sea level.",[11,29,30],{},"The reason the number is almost universal: most manned aircraft in uncontrolled airspace fly no lower than 500 feet (152 meters), so a 400-foot drone ceiling leaves roughly 100 feet (30 meters) of vertical buffer between drones and crewed aviation. Regulators in different countries arrived at this buffer independently but converged on nearly identical numbers.",[18,32],{},[21,34,36],{"id":35},"united-states-the-faas-400-foot-rule","United States: The FAA's 400-Foot Rule",[11,38,39,40,45],{},"Under ",[41,42,44],"a",{"href":43},"\u002Ffaa-part-107-license\u002F","FAA Part 107",", 14 CFR §107.51(b), a small unmanned aircraft may not fly higher than 400 feet above ground level, unless it stays within a 400-foot radius of a structure, in which case it may fly up to 400 feet above that structure's highest point. This is the only built-in exception to the ceiling, and it exists specifically for tower, building, and crane inspections.",[11,47,48],{},"Altitude is measured AGL at the drone's current position, not at the pilot's location. Flying from a hilltop does not add the hill's height to your allowance; flying over a valley does not subtract it. Hills, trees, and other natural terrain do not count as \"structures\" for the exception, only man-made ones like buildings, cell towers, and bridges do. Operations above 400 feet outside the structure exception require an FAA airspace waiver, which the agency can grant for specific, justified operations such as tethered towers or research flights.",[11,50,51],{},"The 400-foot ceiling is also independent of controlled airspace authorization. Flying under 400 feet near an airport, inside Class B, C, D, or E surface airspace, still requires LAANC (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability) approval through an app like Aloft or the FAA DroneZone before takeoff. Staying under the altitude limit never substitutes for the separate airspace no-fly-zone rules.",[18,53],{},[21,55,57],{"id":56},"european-union-and-uk-the-120-meter-open-category-limit","European Union and UK: The 120-Meter Open Category Limit",[11,59,60,64],{},[41,61,63],{"href":62},"\u002Feasa-drone-categories\u002F","EASA's Open category",", which covers roughly 90% of drone flights across the EU, caps altitude at 120 meters above the surface, under Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019\u002F947. This applies uniformly across all 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, who all apply the same rulebook directly rather than each writing their own. Exceeding 120 meters moves the flight into the Specific category, which requires an operational authorization from the national aviation authority.",[11,66,67,68,72],{},"The ",[41,69,71],{"href":70},"\u002Fuk-caa-drone-rules\u002F","UK left EASA's harmonized system"," after Brexit and runs its own version through the CAA, but it kept the same number: 120 metres (about 400 feet) above the ground, under the UK Air Navigation Order. The CAA does not grant altitude waivers for recreational flying; going higher requires an Operational Authorisation, typically only available to Specific-category commercial operators with an approved operations manual.",[11,74,75],{},"Both EASA and the CAA include a narrow allowance for operations near structures taller than 120 meters, letting a drone climb closer to the top of a crane, tower, or similar obstacle with the structure owner's permission, but this is not a blanket waiver and does not apply to open fields or general recreational flying.",[11,77,78],{},"Drones sold in the EU and UK since 2024 also carry mandatory class markings (C0 through C4) that interact with altitude indirectly: flying a lower-class drone (C0, C1) in the A1 subcategory gives you more freedom over people but does not change the 120-meter ceiling itself. The limit is the same across every class and every A1\u002FA2\u002FA3 subcategory inside Open; only the horizontal distance from people changes.",[18,80],{},[21,82,84],{"id":83},"australia-canada-and-brazil-how-their-limits-compare","Australia, Canada, and Brazil: How Their Limits Compare",[11,86,87,91],{},[41,88,90],{"href":89},"\u002Faustralia-casa-drone-rules\u002F","CASA's standard operating conditions"," for Australia set the same ceiling, 120 meters (400 feet) AGL, for both recreational and commercial RPA (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) flights under Part 101 of the Civil Aviation Safety Regulations. RePL and ReOC holders can apply for an area approval to exceed it under specific, pre-assessed conditions, but the default never changes without one.",[11,93,94],{},"Transport Canada sets a near-identical number under CAR 901.25: 400 feet AGL, or 100 feet above the tallest obstacle within 200 feet laterally, which works out to about 122 meters. A Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) can raise or lower this limit for a specific, approved operation.",[11,96,97],{},"Brazil is the one country on this list where the headline number is not the real ceiling. ANAC's 2026 risk-based drone framework allows low-risk \"Aberta\" (Open) category flights up to 120 meters, matching the global standard. But DECEA's ICA 100-40, which governs airspace rather than the aircraft itself, caps recreational flights outside designated model-aircraft fields at 60 meters AGL and 300 meters of horizontal distance from the pilot. In practice, a hobbyist flying in an ordinary open area in Brazil is bound by DECEA's lower 60-meter limit, not ANAC's 120-meter allowance, until the two agencies' rules are reconciled under the regulation's multi-year transition period.",[18,99],{},[21,101,103],{"id":102},"drone-altitude-limits-by-country-full-comparison-table","Drone Altitude Limits by Country: Full Comparison Table",[105,106,107,126],"table",{},[108,109,110],"thead",{},[111,112,113,117,120,123],"tr",{},[114,115,116],"th",{},"Country\u002FRegion",[114,118,119],{},"Regulator",[114,121,122],{},"Standard Limit",[114,124,125],{},"Regulation",[127,128,129,144,158,172,185,198,212],"tbody",{},[111,130,131,135,138,141],{},[132,133,134],"td",{},"United States",[132,136,137],{},"FAA",[132,139,140],{},"400 ft (122 m) AGL",[132,142,143],{},"14 CFR §107.51(b)",[111,145,146,149,152,155],{},[132,147,148],{},"European Union",[132,150,151],{},"EASA",[132,153,154],{},"120 m (394 ft) AGL",[132,156,157],{},"Regulation (EU) 2019\u002F947",[111,159,160,163,166,169],{},[132,161,162],{},"United Kingdom",[132,164,165],{},"CAA",[132,167,168],{},"120 m (400 ft) AGL",[132,170,171],{},"UK Air Navigation Order",[111,173,174,177,180,182],{},[132,175,176],{},"Australia",[132,178,179],{},"CASA",[132,181,168],{},[132,183,184],{},"CASR Part 101",[111,186,187,190,193,195],{},[132,188,189],{},"Canada",[132,191,192],{},"Transport Canada",[132,194,140],{},[132,196,197],{},"CAR 901.25",[111,199,200,203,206,209],{},[132,201,202],{},"Brazil (recreational)",[132,204,205],{},"DECEA",[132,207,208],{},"60 m (197 ft) AGL",[132,210,211],{},"ICA 100-40",[111,213,214,217,220,222],{},[132,215,216],{},"Brazil (Aberta category)",[132,218,219],{},"ANAC",[132,221,154],{},[132,223,224],{},"RBAC-E 94 \u002F 2026 framework",[11,226,227],{},"All figures are above ground level (AGL) at the drone's position, not above the pilot or above sea level, and all apply to standard visual-line-of-sight flights with drones under 25 kg.",[18,229],{},[21,231,233],{"id":232},"what-happens-if-you-fly-above-the-legal-limit","What Happens If You Fly Above the Legal Limit?",[11,235,236],{},"Breaking the altitude limit is treated as an aviation safety violation, not a minor infraction, because it directly increases the risk of a midair collision with a helicopter or light aircraft. In the US, the FAA Reauthorization Act set civil penalties up to $75,000 per violation for the most serious drone infractions, with lesser violations (such as flying without the required certification) capped around $27,500; a serious or repeat offense can also lead to certificate suspension for commercial pilots. Criminal referrals, reserved for cases like interfering with manned aircraft or emergency operations, can carry fines up to $250,000 and up to three years in federal prison. The UK CAA and EASA member states can issue comparable fines, confiscate equipment, and in cases involving airports or restricted airspace, refer the matter for criminal prosecution.",[11,238,239],{},"Most altitude violations are not intentional; they come from pilots trusting a barometric altitude reading at takeoff from elevated terrain, or failing to realize how fast altitude above a slope changes relative to the ground below. Checking your drone's live AGL readout against the actual terrain, not just the number on the controller screen, is the simplest way to stay inside the limit without a GPS-based airspace app.",[18,241],{},[21,243,245],{"id":244},"how-to-legally-fly-higher-than-the-standard-limit","How to Legally Fly Higher Than the Standard Limit",[11,247,248],{},"Every major regulator offers a path above the default ceiling, but none of them let a pilot simply decide to fly higher. In the US, that path is the structure exception (automatic, no paperwork, for flights within 400 feet of a building or tower) or an FAA waiver for anything else. In the EU and UK, it means operating in the Specific category with an operational authorization tied to a documented risk assessment. In Australia and Canada, it means an area approval or an SFOC issued for a named operation.",[11,250,251,252,256],{},"Most consumer drone apps also enforce their own software ceiling that is unrelated to the legal limit. ",[41,253,255],{"href":254},"\u002Fdji-fly-app-guide\u002F","DJI Fly and DJI GO 4",", for example, default new users to a 120-meter maximum altitude setting, which can be raised by the pilot up to 500 meters in the app's settings. Raising the in-app limit does not change the law; it only removes a safety guardrail the manufacturer added on top of it. A pilot who unlocks 500 meters in the app and flies there is still violating whatever legal ceiling applies in their country.",[18,258],{},[260,261],"faq",{":items":262},"[{\"question\":\"How high can a drone legally fly in the US?\",\"answer\":\"400 feet (about 122 meters) above ground level under FAA Part 107, §107.51(b). The only exception is flying within 400 feet of a structure, where you may go up to 400 feet above that structure's highest point without a separate waiver.\"},{\"question\":\"Is the drone altitude limit the same everywhere?\",\"answer\":\"Almost. The US, Canada, UK, EU, and Australia all use 120-122 meters (394-400 feet) as the default ceiling for standard visual-line-of-sight flights. Brazil is the main exception: DECEA caps ordinary recreational flights at 60 meters, half the global norm.\"},{\"question\":\"Can I fly my drone higher if I get a waiver?\",\"answer\":\"Yes. The FAA, EASA member states, UK CAA, CASA, and Transport Canada all offer a path to exceed the standard altitude, through a waiver, operational authorization, area approval, or Special Flight Operations Certificate, but each requires a specific, documented operation, not general recreational flying.\"},{\"question\":\"Is altitude measured from where I'm standing or from the ground below the drone?\",\"answer\":\"From the ground directly beneath the drone (AGL), not from the pilot's position. If you launch from a hill and fly over a valley, your legal altitude budget decreases as the ground below you drops away, even if the drone's height above you never changes.\"},{\"question\":\"Does raising the altitude limit in my DJI app make it legal?\",\"answer\":\"No. DJI Fly and GO 4 default to a 120-meter software limit that pilots can raise to 500 meters in settings, but that setting is a manufacturer safety guardrail, not a legal allowance. The applicable aviation authority's altitude limit still applies regardless of what the app permits.\"}]",[18,264],{},[11,266,267],{},[268,269,270,271,277,278,277,283],"em",{},"Sources: ",[41,272,276],{"href":273,"rel":274},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.faa.gov\u002Fnewsroom\u002Fsmall-unmanned-aircraft-systems-uas-regulations-part-107",[275],"nofollow","FAA Part 107 Regulations"," | ",[41,279,282],{"href":280,"rel":281},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.easa.europa.eu\u002Fen\u002Fthe-agency\u002Ffaqs\u002Fdrones-uas",[275],"EASA Open Category Rules",[41,284,287],{"href":285,"rel":286},"https:\u002F\u002Fdecea.mil.br\u002F?i=midia-e-informacao&materia=entra-em-vigor-a-nova-edicao-da-ica-100-40-que-trata-sobre-o-uso-de-aeronaves-nao-tripuladas&p=pg_noticia",[275],"DECEA ICA 100-40",{"title":289,"searchDepth":290,"depth":290,"links":291},"",2,[292,293,294,295,296,297,298],{"id":23,"depth":290,"text":24},{"id":35,"depth":290,"text":36},{"id":56,"depth":290,"text":57},{"id":83,"depth":290,"text":84},{"id":102,"depth":290,"text":103},{"id":232,"depth":290,"text":233},{"id":244,"depth":290,"text":245},"articles","2026-10-04","The FAA caps drones at 400 feet; the EU, UK and Australia cap them at 120 meters. See the exact legal limit for your country and when you can fly higher.",false,"md","\u002Fimages\u002Fhow-high-can-a-drone-fly.jpg",{},true,"\u002Fen\u002Fposts\u002Fhow-high-can-a-drone-fly",{"title":5,"description":301},"how-high-can-a-drone-fly","en\u002Fposts\u002Fhow-high-can-a-drone-fly",[312,137,313,314],"drone laws","regulations","altitude","altura-maxima-para-voar-drone","_TjoIahqmBgHMa5WCYhPgGQGXm4dZdk25YG251tOqVk",[318,320,332,343],{"title":5,"description":301,"date":300,"category":299,"image":304,"slug":309,"tags":319,"author":6},[312,137,313,314],{"title":321,"description":322,"date":323,"category":299,"image":324,"slug":325,"tags":326,"author":6},"Drone Delivery in 2026: How It Works, Cost & Coverage","Drone delivery in 2026: how Amazon, Wing, Zipline, and DoorDash actually work, what deliveries cost, and how to check if the service reaches your home.","2026-09-27","\u002Fimages\u002Fdrone-delivery-guide.jpg","drone-delivery-guide",[327,328,329,330,331],"drone delivery","Amazon Prime Air","Wing","Zipline","BVLOS",{"title":333,"description":334,"date":335,"category":299,"image":336,"slug":337,"tags":338,"author":6},"Is DJI Banned in the US? 2026 Status, Rules and FAQ","DJI isn't fully banned in the US, but new models can't get FCC approval. Here's exactly what's restricted, what's still legal, and what changes next in 2026.","2026-09-20","\u002Fimages\u002Fdji-ban-eua.jpg","is-dji-banned-in-the-us",[339,340,341,342],"dji","fcc","drone-regulations","united-states",{"title":344,"description":345,"date":346,"category":299,"image":347,"slug":348,"tags":349,"author":6},"Drone Pilot Career: Salary, Jobs & Licensing in 2026","US drone pilots earn $47,000-$137,000 in 2026 depending on sector. See real salary data, the industries hiring, licensing costs, and where to find work.","2026-09-13","\u002Fimages\u002Fdrone-pilot-career.jpg","drone-pilot-career",[350,351,352,353],"drone pilot career","drone pilot salary","Part 107","commercial drone jobs",1791273874413]