New FCC Rule on Drone Parts Took Effect October 13. What Cities and HOAs Should Know

If you run a city or fire agency program, manage an HOA or master planned community, or oversee a commercial portfolio, you have likely seen headlines about a federal drone ban. The FCC actions behind those headlines are narrower and more technical than the headlines suggest. Here is what took effect, what is only proposed, and what it means for the property records you rely on.

What took effect on October 13

The FCC's Third Report and Order (FCC 26-50) was published in the Federal Register on September 11, 2026, and took effect on October 13. It bars new FCC equipment authorizations for radio devices that contain a "logic-bearing" hardware component made by a company named on the FCC's Covered List.

For drones, that means a newly designed aircraft cannot receive FCC approval if parts such as its flight controller, radio module, or camera board come from a listed company like DJI or Autel, even when the aircraft is assembled in the United States, according to DroneXL's coverage of the rule. Passive parts such as housings, wiring, and fasteners fall outside the rule, and so does software.

The rule looks forward. It applies to new authorization applications and does not change the status of equipment the FCC has already authorized.

How we got here

The October rule builds on a December 22, 2025 action, when the FCC added foreign-produced drones and critical drone components to its Covered List following a national security determination. It was the first time the FCC listed a whole product category rather than named companies, as a Wiley Rein client alert noted. Equipment on the Covered List cannot receive new FCC equipment authorizations.

When it made that listing, the FCC said the action did not affect drones people had already purchased and did not prohibit the import, sale, or use of models it had previously authorized, as a Mayer Brown client alert summarized.

The FCC has since carved out exceptions. Drones on the Defense Department's Blue UAS Cleared List and products that qualify as domestic under Buy American standards are exempt. In July 2026, the FCC extended those exemptions to January 1, 2028.

What is proposed, not final

Two FCC notices released in July 2026 would go further by restricting the import and marketing of some drones the FCC has already approved.

• One notice (DA 26-742) proposes ending further import and marketing of previously authorized drones, drone components, and video surveillance equipment from nine named companies.
• A second notice (DA 26-758) proposes the same for foreign-produced "military-grade" drones and components on the Covered List. Its categories include drones with thermal imaging or LiDAR sensors, drone docking stations, and aircraft of 55 pounds or more.

The military-grade notice was published in the Federal Register on August 3, 2026, and its comment period closed September 2. Commenters, including DJI and small operators, argued that the categories sweep in ordinary commercial capabilities, and one small operator pointed specifically to thermal imaging and LiDAR, as reported by The Drone Girl. As of late September, no final decision had been reported, according to Holland & Knight.

Both notices state that the proposed limits would not affect the continued use or operation of drones that have already been purchased.

What these FCC actions do not change

These are FCC equipment actions. The rules for how commercial drones fly, including pilot certification and operating limits, are FAA rules in 14 CFR Part 107. None of the FCC documents above amends those flight rules.

What this means for cities, HOAs, and property owners

For most organizations that buy aerial documentation, the near-term question is continuity, not legality. Under the rules in effect today, a provider can keep flying the aircraft it already owns. The open questions sit further out: how easily providers can replace or add aircraft and parts, especially thermal-equipped models, if the import and marketing proposals are adopted.

If you are a public agency, ask your purchasing or legal team whether any grant or contract terms you operate under carry their own equipment requirements. Those terms are separate from the FCC rules described here.

Questions to ask your drone documentation provider

• Is the aircraft documenting your site already purchased and in service?
• Which sensors capture your data, and how would a change in equipment affect the consistency of your record over time?
• Where is your historical record stored, and does it stay intact if equipment changes?
• Are the pilots FAA Part 107 certified, and is the operation insured?
• How will they keep you informed as the FCC proposals move forward?

Why the record matters more than the aircraft

A documentation program earns its value through comparison: the same site, captured on a schedule, laid side by side over months and years. Equipment rules will keep shifting. The dated record of your property is the asset that has to carry through those shifts.

How FlyCRE fits

From our base in Orange County, FlyCRE captures orthomosaic, thermal, asset visibility, and multispectral data on every scheduled flight, processes it, and keeps a permanent, timestamped record for comparison. All pilots are FAA Part 107 certified, every operation is insured, flights run at high altitude, and we do not capture data of private residences. We track drone regulation every week so the people who answer for the property can focus on the property.

We document. Qualified professionals interpret, and regulatory questions belong with your counsel.