Which DJI Drones Will Be Banned in 2026? FCC Retroactive Ban – Full List

The second wave of the ban is coming, and we have created a list of drones that are going to be banned soon and a list of drones that will remain active in American airspace, and you can buy them whenever you want to for now, at least based on the rules. Since back from the December ban, we know that new drones of DJI are not allowed to be sold in the United States of America. Not only that, with the latest development that happened back in July, they have updated the military drone specifications, and in that, they have added LiDAR, and due to that specific addition, a lot of consumer drones, including the budget drone like Neo 2, have also been added to the Covered List. So, we have created a complete list of drones that are going to be banned soon by the United States of America and the list of those that will remain available even after the second wave of the ban that is about to happen after September 2026.

Public comments close on September 2, 2026. After that, the FCC will decide whether to adopt the restrictions.

What Exactly Is the FCC Proposing?

In Public Notice DA 26-758, the FCC is seeking to prohibit the continued importation and marketing of previously authorized foreign-made drones that fall into these categories:

• LiDAR sensors (including short-range obstacle avoidance LiDAR)
• Thermal imaging cameras
• Agricultural spraying capability
• Autonomous docking stations
• Takeoff weight of 55 pounds (25 kg) or more
• Defense payloads
• Swarming systems

To simplify it, we have added the entire list of updates in the table below, so you have a clear idea of when the public comment period will be called off. Specifically, the date is September 2, and after, obviously, the FCC will put a ban that will take a bit of time to make it properly effective at the ground level.

Important Timeline

DJI Drones Likely to Be Restricted / Banned from Further Sale

Now here is the MOST IMPORTANT PART – List of drones that are about to be BANNED SOON

If the proposal is adopted as written, these models are at highest risk of no longer being sold new in the US:

Consumer & Prosumer Models with LiDAR

• • DJI Air 3S
  • DJI Mini 5 Pro
  • DJI Avata 360
  • DJI Neo 2
  • DJI Mavic 4 Pro

Thermal Models

• • DJI Mavic 3 Thermal / Mavic 3T
  • Matrice 30T series
  • Matrice 4T / Matrice 4TD

Docking Systems

• • DJI Dock, Dock 2, and Dock 3 (along with compatible Matrice aircraft)

Agricultural & Heavy Models

• • Agras series (T25, T40, T50, etc.)
  • FlyCart series
  • Larger Matrice platforms that meet weight or sensor criteria

DJI Drones More Likely to Remain Available

These models do not currently fall under the main restricted categories (no LiDAR, no thermal, under 55 lb, no docking or spraying):

• • DJI Mini 4 Pro
  • DJI Mini 4K
  • DJI Air 3 (original non-S version)
  • DJI Mavic 3 / Mavic 3 Classic / Mavic 3 Cine / non-thermal Mavic 3 Pro
  • DJI Flip
  • Original DJI Neo
  • Older Mini 3 and Mini 3 Pro series
  • Pre-LiDAR models still in stock (such as Air 2S)

What This Means for Current Owners

• • You can continue flying any DJI drone you already own.
  • Firmware and security updates for previously authorized models remain allowed (currently through at least January 2029).
  • Private second-hand sales stay legal.
  • Official spare parts and service for restricted models may become harder to obtain over time.

Buying Advice Right Now

The only buying advice I would like to give the readers at this moment is that if your business depends on drones, specifically those that are on the list that are going to be banned soon, and by business, I mean anything—either you are a wedding photographer or a cinematographer who would love to add high-quality, stabilized aerial shots to your project, as well as if you are a content creator who loves to capture themselves with a drone, specifically their recently announced To Capture, a creator-on-the-go with gesture controls only. So, technically, if your workflow is in any way associated with drones, and if they become unavailable or your existing drones may get disabled for any reason, then the entire workflow of your business/content creation will be deeply affected. So, the best thing is to have a backup. Have a proper backup of parts; have a proper backup of different units of drones. Otherwise, it would be a big mess.

The FCC proposal represents a serious escalation. Many of DJI’s most capable current models face a real risk of being cut off from new sales in the US market. At the same time, several solid and popular models without the restricted features should remain available while existing inventory lasts.

The comment window closes on September 2, 2026. After that, the FCC will make its decision. Until a final order is issued, the situation remains fluid.

We will update this article as soon as the FCC announces its final decision.

The article “Which DJI Drones Will Be Banned in 2026? FCC Retroactive Ban – Full List” was written  by thenewcamera.com team on 7:38 pm, Thursday, 20 August 2026, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).  | You can also follow us on Our Official Social Media Handles  FACEBOOK | TWITTER |  INSTAGRAM  > get live news — >  DJI Rumors | Insta360 News

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