Plan
Drone rules: Germany
Last checked: October 1, 2026
Required from 250 g or with a camera or sensor (except toys); the LBA operator ID must be visibly attached to every drone. If you live in another EASA state, you use your registration from there.
Under section 43 of the German Air Traffic Act (LuftVG), liability insurance is mandatory for every drone regardless of weight; flying without insurance is an administrative offence.
Liability insurance for your drone*
In Germany, every drone needs liability insurance. You can take it out online with the DMO (Deutsche Modellsportorganisation).
Tip: First check whether your personal liability insurance covers drones. Often it doesn't, or only under certain conditions – if in doubt, ask your insurer and get it confirmed in writing.
*Advertising via affiliate link: if you take out drone liability insurance through this link, I receive a commission that helps me keep improving the app. It costs you nothing extra.
For tourists
As a visitor from another EASA state you fly with your registration and competency certificate from home, but check that your liability insurance is valid in Germany. The geographical zones (control zones, nature reserves, residential properties and more) are shown on the official dipul map, which Hoverpoint displays on its map.
Further rules
- If you live in Germany and operate a drone with a take-off weight of 250 grams or more, you must register with the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA) – lighter models with a camera or other sensors capable of capturing personal data are also covered. On registration you receive an e-ID, which you must display visibly on each of your drones.
- You only register once, in the EASA state where you live – the EASA area comprises the EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Your operator ID is then valid throughout the EASA area: if you are already registered in another EASA country, you don't need a second registration in Germany. Only if you live outside the EASA area do you register in the EASA state where you first fly.
- Third-party liability insurance for the operator is required by law for flying any drone in Germany, regardless of weight – the insurance details are already recorded during registration.
- For drones of classes C1 to C4 you need at least the EU A1/A3 proof of competency (online exam). If you want to fly a C2 drone closer to people (open subcategory A2), you additionally need the EU remote pilot certificate.
- In the open category, the maximum flight height is 120 metres above ground – regulated uniformly across the EU.
- In the open category, the subcategory decides how close you may fly to uninvolved people. In A1 (C0 and legacy drones under 250 grams), flying over individuals is permitted but should be avoided; with a C1 drone you must not deliberately fly over uninvolved people. In A2 – only with a C2 class mark and the EU remote pilot certificate, as the certificate alone is not enough for a legacy drone – you keep a horizontal distance of at least 30 metres, or at least 5 metres in low-speed mode. In A3 (C3, C4 and heavier legacy drones) you stay at least 150 metres away from residential, commercial, industrial and recreational areas, and no uninvolved person may be within the area of operation.
- Flying over assemblies of people is prohibited without exception in the open category – in every subcategory and with every drone class. An assembly of people is a group that an individual can no longer readily leave.
Sources
This overview is not legal advice and not an official statement — laws change, and we cannot guarantee that every entry is fully up to date. Before your flight, please also check the official source or the local civil aviation authority.