Canada's drone rules, explained

Every drone flight in Canadian airspace falls under Part IX of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs), administered by Transport Canada. They care about three things: how heavy the aircraft is, how close it flies to people, and what airspace it is in. Those three facts decide the category of operation, and the category decides which pilot certificate, which aircraft and which permissions you need.

Weight classes are simple. A microdrone weighs under 250 g. A small drone weighs 250 g up to 25 kg. Since November 4, 2025, a medium drone weighs more than 25 kg up to 150 kg and can be flown within visual line of sight by an Advanced pilot, where before it always needed a special certificate. Anything above 150 kg still needs a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC).

The categories are Basic, Advanced, Level 1 Complex (the new lower-risk beyond visual line-of-sight category), and anything outside those, which needs an SFOC. Most real estate media, inspection and mapping work in towns and cities is Advanced, because it happens near people, near buildings and often inside controlled airspace around airports.

This page is a guide, not legal advice. Rules and fees change. Before you fly or hire, check the current rules on the Transport Canada drone safety pages and in the NAV Drone app.

Controlled airspace. Much of Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal sits under controlled airspace around their airports. An Advanced pilot requests authorization from NAV CANADA through the NAV Drone app, which shows the airspace class, nearby aerodromes and any restrictions, and handles the request. Approval is not automatic, so submit early and keep the approval with the flight record. Some airspace belongs to the Department of National Defence and has its own process.

Airports and heliports. Basic pilots must stay more than 5.6 km (3 NM) from the centre of a certified airport and 1.9 km (1 NM) from a certified heliport. Advanced pilots can work closer in uncontrolled airspace by following the published procedures, and any aerodrome operator's requirements. Military aerodromes have their own rules.

Emergencies and events. Stay clear of emergency scenes and security perimeters, and well away from wildfires (Transport Canada's guidance is 9.3 km). Flying at or near an advertised event needs an SFOC, even with a microdrone.

Parks. You may not take off or land in a national park without Parks Canada's permission. Provincial parks have their own rules, and several provinces, British Columbia among them, require a park use permit for commercial filming, which is rarely granted for drones. Municipal and regional park bylaws often restrict take-off and landing too. The airspace rule and the land rule are separate: permission from NAV CANADA does not give you the right to launch from someone's land.

People. The distance rules count anyone not involved in the operation. A briefed client can be involved; neighbours and passers-by are not.

Special Flight Operations Certificates. An SFOC covers anything outside the categories above: aircraft over 150 kg, beyond visual line-of-sight work that does not fit Level 1 Complex, advertised events, some foreign operators and other higher-risk flights. Fees are tiered by complexity and Transport Canada publishes service standards that run from about 20 to 60 business days once the application is complete. Plan in weeks, not days.

Dispensing and spraying. Anything that leaves the aircraft (water, cleaning solution, product) raises its own questions. Pesticide application by drone is also regulated by Health Canada and provincial pesticide licensing, and the rules are still moving in 2026. Drone cleaning at DroneLink is coming, and each cleaning operation will be checked against the rules in force when it launches. See exterior cleaning.

Privacy. Aviation law does not cover privacy. Commercial operators are bound by federal privacy law (PIPEDA) or, in British Columbia, Alberta and Québec, by the provincial private-sector privacy acts, which are substantially similar and in Québec's case stricter. Capturing identifiable people, licence plates or the inside of neighbours' homes is collecting personal information. Collect only what the job needs, point the camera at the subject property, blur what you should not keep, and tell people what you are doing. The Criminal Code (voyeurism) and provincial trespass and nuisance law still apply.

Insurance. Ask for proof of liability insurance that names drone operations. Many clients, municipalities and park authorities require it as a condition of access.