Register drones with your real name first; never fly near airports, military zones, or restricted urban airspace, and don’t tamper with altitude limits

11. Register drones with your real name first; never fly near airports, military zones, or restricted urban airspace, and don’t tamper with altitude limits

Cost: Registering your drone is free and takes just a few minutes. Before every flight, check via official channels to confirm whether the area you plan to fly in is a restricted zone.

In plain terms: Flying a drone without proper registration can result in a fine of up to 200 yuan; repeat or serious violations may incur fines ranging from 2,000 to 20,000 yuan. Flying in restricted airspace without authorization carries a maximum fine of 500 yuan; in severe cases, the drone is confiscated and additional fines of 1,000–10,000 yuan apply. Serious violations may also lead to detention for 5–10 days. One individual paid to remove altitude restrictions on his drone, flew it to nearly 3,000 meters to capture cloud images, and posted the footage online; he was subsequently detained for 5 days.

Benefit: Operators who fly without registration may be ordered to correct the issue and face fines up to 200 yuan; repeat or serious violations can lead to fines of 2,000–20,000 yuan. Flying micro, light, or small drones in restricted airspace without approval results in an order to cease flight and a fine of up to 500 yuan; in severe cases, the drone is confiscated and fines of 1,000–10,000 yuan apply. Serious violations involving unauthorized flight in restricted zones may also result in detention for 5–10 days. Official examples include: Mr. Li paid to bypass altitude limits, flew his drone to nearly 3,000 meters to photograph clouds and posted the footage online; he was detained for 5 days. Mr. Zhang helped others bypass altitude and no‑fly zone restrictions on over 20 drones, earning more than 15,000 yuan; he was convicted of providing programs or tools used to illegally access or control computer systems, sentenced to 6 months in prison with a 1‑year probation period, and fined (nationwide, effective January 2024).

Evidence grade: A

Sources: State Council of China, Central Military Commission (2023). Interim Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aircraft Flights (National Order No. 761, Articles 10, 19, 47, 51). <https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/202306/content_6888799.htm>; National People's Congress Standing Committee (2025). Public Security Management Punishment Law (2025) (Revised in 2026, Article 46). <https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/202506/t20250627_699863.shtml>; Hubei Provincial Public Security Department (2026). Ministry of Public Security of China announced eight typical cases of cracking down on the illegal crimes of "black flying" of drones in accordance with the law (reprinted from People's Public Security News). <http://gat.hubei.gov.cn/bmdt/gayw/202602/t20260205_5870949.shtml>

Notes: Micro and light drones may be flown in permitted airspace without prior approval. A micro drone is defined as one weighing less than 0.25 kilograms. Permitted airspace refers to all areas outside of restricted zones; airports, military installations, and government complexes are typically classified as restricted zones. The original Ministry of Public Security page detailing these rules could not be accessed at the time of writing; therefore, information was drawn from a republished page maintained by the Hubei Provincial Public Security Department.