Guide
Flying a drone near people in the UK: what's actually allowed
Updated
Most drone complaints, and most enforcement, start with flights near people. The rules here are a ladder: the lighter the drone and the better your qualification, the closer you may be.
The ladder, from most to least freedom
- Under 250g, or UK0/UK1/C0: A1. May fly in built-up areas, closer than 50m to uninvolved people, and over uninvolved people. Still never over crowds. Flyer ID needed from 100g; Operator ID too if there is a camera.
- UK2 or C2 with the A2 CofC: 30m horizontally from uninvolved people, reducible to 5m in low-speed mode.
- No class mark, under 2kg, with the A2 CofC: A2 but at 50m from uninvolved people, not 30m.
- Anything else at 250g+: A3 only, at least 50m from uninvolved people, 150m from residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas, and 50m from individual buildings.
- Closer than any of that (filming events, inspections over streets): Specific category territory, an operational authorisation from the CAA, usually via the GVC.
Rules that apply at every rung
- Never over crowds: crowds at concerts, matches, protests or fetes are off-limits to every Open category drone, including sub-250g.
- Uninvolved means uninvolved: people who have not agreed to be part of your flight. Your friends helping you film are involved; passers-by are not.
- No intentional overflight in A2: even with the certificate, you must not deliberately fly over uninvolved people.
- Privacy law rides along: the CAA's own guidance tells you to respect people's privacy, and camera drones near people engage data protection rules.
- The Drone Code baseline: direct visual line of sight, under 120m, and never in restricted airspace (CAA).
If you need to be closer
The A2 CofC is the affordable step: a course and exam with a CAA-recognised training provider, and the standard route for anyone flying a 250g+ drone in towns. You need the Flyer ID and Operator ID on top of it. Regular paid work near people usually justifies the GVC and an operational authorisation instead, and commercial flying requires third party insurance whatever the category (CAA).
Start with the checker to fix your registration position, then pick the category that matches where you actually want to fly. Nothing here is legal advice.