Drone rules for FPV pilots: US, UK, EU and Australia

Quick answer: the rules depend on the country you fly in, and they change. Read your regulator's own page before you fly. The table below links each one, and each section summarises only what that page said when we checked it on October 13, 2026. This page is a set of signposts, not legal advice.

Where you fly	Regulator	Official page	What this page covers
United States	FAA	faa.gov/uas/recreational_flyers	Registration, TRUST, Remote ID, height, airspace, visual observer
United Kingdom	UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)	caa.co.uk/drones	Flyer ID / Operator ID, height, distance from people, FPV observer
European Union	EASA (registration through national authorities)	easa.europa.eu open category	Open category, class marks, registration, FPV observer
Australia	Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)	casa.gov.au drone rules	Flying for fun vs for work, registration, FPV outdoors

Scroll the table sideways for more columns.

Why FPV pilots need to read this: with goggles on, you can't see the quad directly, and every regulator here deals with that. The FAA allows a visual observer physically next to you; the UK CAA and EASA require an observer for FPV in their open category; and in Australia, flying FPV outdoors needs a model aircraft association with FPV approval or CASA approval.

"Under 250 g" also doesn't mean "no rules": in the UK, the ID rules start at 100 g.

United States (FAA)

Checked October 13, 2026. Official page: FAA Recreational Flyers (page last updated March 18, 2026).

Which rules apply: flying purely for fun falls under the FAA's Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned Aircraft (49 U.S.C. 44809). Other flying falls under 14 CFR Part 107. The FAA says: "When in doubt, assume Part 107."
Registration: "You must register if your drone weighs 250 grams (0.55 lbs) or more." Registered drones must be marked with the registration number, and you carry proof of registration.
TRUST test: "You are required by law to take TRUST and carry proof when flying." TRUST is free and online.
Remote ID: "As of September 16, 2023, if your drone requires an FAA registration number it will also be required to broadcast Remote ID information (unless flown within a Federally-Recognized Identification Area, or FRIA)."
Height: "Fly at or below 400 feet in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace."
Airspace: controlled airspace (Class B, C, D and surface Class E) needs prior FAA authorization, through LAANC or DroneZone.
Goggles (FPV): "Keep your drone within the visual line of sight or use a visual observer who is co-located (physically next to) and in direct communication with you."
The FAA also lists: follow the safety guidelines of an FAA-recognized community-based organization (CBO), and give way to other aircraft.

United Kingdom (UK CAA)

Checked October 13, 2026. Pages: Getting what you need to fly legally, Where you can fly, First person view (FPV). The CAA pages don't show a "last updated" date.

Flyer ID and Operator ID (as the CAA states them):

Weight of your drone or model aircraft	Camera	Flyer ID	Operator ID
250g to less than 25kg	Either	Required	Required
100g to less than 250g	With a camera	Required	Required
100g to less than 250g	Without a camera	Required	Optional
Less than 100g	Not applicable	Recommended	Optional

Scroll the table sideways for more columns.

caa.co.uk

"You must pass the CAA's official theory test to get a Flyer ID." caa.co.uk
"You must be 18 or over to get an Operator ID." Under-18s ask a parent or guardian to register for the Operator ID. caa.co.uk
Class marks: the CAA says new models placed on the market from January 1, 2026 must have a UK class mark (UK0 to UK6), and that you can fly a C class drone as the matching UK class until December 31, 2027. caa.co.uk

Where you can fly (Drone and Model Aircraft Code, points 3 to 7):

Height: "Your drone or model aircraft must never be more than 120m (400ft) from the closest point of the earth's surface." (point 3) caa.co.uk
People: keep a minimum horizontal distance of 50m from people, and don't fly over them inside that zone. You can fly closer to people who are with you and involved in what you're doing. Drones below 250g, or UK0, UK1 or C0 class, may fly closer than 50m to uninvolved people; from January 1, 2026 until December 31, 2027 the same applies to C1 class. Never fly over crowds. (points 4–5) caa.co.uk
Built-up areas: keep at least 150m from residential, recreational, commercial and industrial areas. The same small-drone exception applies (below 250g, UK0, UK1, C0, and C1 until December 31, 2027). (point 6) caa.co.uk
Airports: most airports, airfields and spaceports have a Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ). Don't fly in one without permission from the airport, airfield or spaceport. (point 7) caa.co.uk

FPV (goggles): "If you want to fly using First Person View, you must have an observer with you when you fly." The observer must stand next to you and you must always be able to talk to each other. The observer doesn't need a Flyer ID, and you stay responsible for keeping the flight safe. caa.co.uk

European Union (EASA)

Checked October 13, 2026. Pages: Open category – low-risk civil drones, EASA FAQ 140037 (FPV) (FAQ last updated June 25, 2024).

EASA describes the open category as "the main reference for the majority of leisure drone activities and low-risk commercial activities." easa.europa.eu

Which drones: per EASA, open-category flights need a drone that either carries a C0–C4 class label, is privately built for your own use, or has no label but was placed on the market before December 31, 2023. EASA notes that a ready-to-assemble kit does not count as privately built. easa.europa.eu
Height: "Maintain flight altitude below 120m above ground level." easa.europa.eu
Subcategories: A1 (fly over people but not over assemblies of people), A2 (fly close to people), A3 (fly far from people). Which one you can use depends on the class mark and weight in EASA's table. easa.europa.eu
Operator registration: for C0 drones, and for privately built or pre-2024 drones under 250 g, EASA's table says: "No, unless camera / sensor on board and a drone is not a toy". For C1 to C4, and for privately built drones under 25 kg, it says "Yes". Most FPV quads carry a camera, so read this row carefully. easa.europa.eu
Pilot training: for A1/A3, the EASA page lists a "Proof of completion for online training": you complete the online training and pass the online theoretical exam. Check EASA's table for what your class needs. easa.europa.eu
FPV (goggles), our summary of EASA's FAQ: the open category requires visual line of sight. Goggles don't give you that, so FPV there needs an unmanned-aircraft observer next to the pilot who keeps watching the drone. The FAQ also covers FPV races, which have extra conditions. easa.europa.eu

Registration and local no-fly zones are handled by each country's aviation authority. Check the authority for the country you'll fly in.

Australia (CASA)

Checked October 13, 2026. Pages: Drone safety rules (last updated October 11, 2024), Flying first person view (last updated November 15, 2024).

Flying for fun: CASA says you don't need to register your drone (including micro drones under 250 g), hold a licence or hold an operator accreditation. Drones over 25 kg need approval. There's no age limit for flying for fun. Check a CASA-verified drone safety app before each flight. casa.gov.au
Flying for work: any drone, including one under 250 g, must be registered, and you need an operator accreditation or a remote pilot licence. casa.gov.au
Height and distance limits: CASA's page points to its Part 101 rules, Plain English Guide and Advisory Circular AC 101-03 for these. We haven't summarised them here; read them on CASA's site.
FPV (goggles): "You must always keep your drone within your visual line-of-sight." Flying FPV indoors for sport or recreation is fine without CASA approval, as long as the drone can't get out of the building. casa.gov.au
FPV outdoors: "If you want to fly FPV outdoors, you must either: be a member of a model aircraft association that has approval to fly FPV; apply for CASA approval to fly FPV recreationally." For the MAAA, CASA says "FPV flying under the MAAA can only be conducted at a CASA approved MAAA location." casa.gov.au

How we keep this page

Every rule here comes from the regulator's own page, with the date we checked it next to it. We don't use blogs, forums or our own memory.
We re-check this page at least every 6 months and whenever a regulator announces a change. If you spot something out of date, tell us.
This page is not legal advice. If you're unsure whether a flight is allowed, ask the regulator.