The FCC Covered List is a register of communications equipment the Federal Communications Commission has determined poses an unacceptable national security risk, and equipment on it cannot receive new FCC equipment authorisation. Since 22 December 2025 that list has included every foreign produced drone and every foreign produced drone critical component.
A separate proposal now before the commission would go further and reach models that already hold authorisation. For anyone hiring a drone operator in Central Florida, the distinction between those two things is the entire story.
What Did the December 2025 Listing Actually Do?
It blocked the pipeline, not the fleet.
FCC equipment authorisation is required to import, market, and sell most wireless equipment in the United States. Placing a manufacturer on the Covered List stops new authorisations. It does not revoke authorisations already granted, and it does not make an aircraft illegal to own or to fly.
| Status | Effect as of early October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Model authorised before 22 December 2025 | Legal to own, legal to fly, legal to buy from lawful existing stock |
| New model seeking authorisation | Blocked |
| Imports of covered equipment | Blocked |
| Replacement parts, batteries, accessories | Supply constrained as existing stock sells through |
| Flight operations under FAA Part 107 | Unaffected by the FCC action |
The mechanism was unusual. Section 1709 of the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act gave an appropriate national security agency one year to determine whether DJI and Autel equipment posed an unacceptable risk. The deadline passed with no determination made, so the statute's automatic listing provision operated and the FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau added both companies. The commission's public notice then swept in every foreign drone manufacturer, reviewed or not.
Both companies are contesting it. Autel filed an Application for Review in January 2026 and a reply in May, arguing the listing rests on evidence it cannot see and on allegations aimed at a different company. The Department of War filed in opposition in April 2026. Nothing is resolved, and the equipment stayed on the list while the challenges proceed.
What Is the New Proposal?
An extension of the prohibition to aircraft already approved, based on seven capability categories the FCC describes as military grade.
Those categories are thermal imaging, LiDAR sensing, aerosol dispensing, docking stations, swarming, defence payload integration, and a maximum takeoff weight of 55 pounds or more.
The objection is that none of those capabilities is exclusive to military aircraft. Thermal cameras are standard on search and rescue work and on roof inspection. LiDAR is used for obstacle avoidance and for mapping. Docking stations support automated inspection. Agricultural drones dispense.
DJI filed comments on 3 September 2026 stating that the seven categories appear in no national security determination, were endorsed by no national security agency, and were written by the two FCC sub bureaus that drafted the proposal. The comment period closed on 2 September 2026.
The commission has not adopted the proposal. It is an open docket, and describing it as a ban that has already happened would be wrong.
Does This Affect a Listing Shoot in Orlando?
No, and that is worth saying plainly, because the coverage reads alarming.
Standard real estate and vacation rental aerial work uses a visual camera on a sub 55 pound aircraft authorised long before the December 2025 cutoff. Nothing in either the Covered List action or the pending proposal restricts flying it. The rules governing the flight itself come from the FAA under 14 CFR Part 107, and those have not changed.
Jet Media Productions is FAA Part 107 certified and flies aerials on every real estate and vacation rental package.
Where the proposal would bite is narrower, and mostly outside listing photography.
| Work type | Exposure if the proposal is adopted |
|---|---|
| Listing and rental aerials, visual camera | None expected |
| Roof and insurance documentation using thermal | Affected, thermal is one of the seven categories |
| LiDAR mapping and volumetric survey | Affected |
| Large payload cinema aircraft over 55 lb | Affected |
| Drone light shows using swarms | Affected |
Thermal is the one worth watching locally. Florida statute 627.7011 sets a 15 year roof inspection trigger and SB 808 widened who may inspect as of 1 July 2026, which has been growing the roof documentation side of drone work. Thermal is useful there, and thermal is on the list.
Where Does Part 108 Sit in All of This?
Still at the White House, and still not published.
FAA Part 108 is the rule that would create a standing framework for beyond visual line of sight operation, replacing the current waiver by waiver path. The final rule went to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs for review on 10 July 2026. The nominal 90 day window closes on 8 October 2026 and may be extended once by 30 days. The rule is classified as economically significant and carries no legal deadline, so the window is a convention rather than a commitment.
One related date worth noting: the TSA is accepting requests until 19 October 2026 from operators who want a place at the security roundtables it plans to hold once the rule publishes.
Part 108 and the FCC actions get conflated constantly. One governs how an aircraft may be flown. The other governs which aircraft may be sold. Neither has changed what is legal to fly today.
What Should an Owner or Agent Take From This?
Three things.
- Aerial photography of your property is not in question. If a vendor says drone work is becoming unavailable, ask which rule they mean.
- Ask whether the operator is FAA Part 107 certified. That is the credential governing the flight, and it is the one worth verifying.
- Expect equipment costs to drift upward. Constrained imports and constrained spares eventually show up in pricing across the industry. That is a supply story, not a legality story.
Regulatory status described here is current as of early October 2026 and is general information rather than legal advice. FCC dockets and OIRA review timelines move. Verify current status with the FCC and the Federal Register before relying on any of it.
Need aerials on a Central Florida listing? Jet Media Productions is FAA Part 107 certified and includes drone on every package. Book online or call (321) 800-5294.