Plan
Drone rules: France
Last checked: October 5, 2026
Required from 250 g or with a camera or sensor; registration in your country of residence is valid throughout the EASA area – with a German operator ID you do not need a second one.
The DGAC does not state a general requirement for recreational flights; check that your liability insurance covers drone damage in France.
Depending on drone weight
- From 800 g· Registration: RequiredFrom 800 g, the drone itself must also be registered on AlphaTango and carry a French electronic signalling device (signalement électronique) – this also applies to visitors.
For tourists
You may fly in France with your home-country operator ID and EU competency certificate. From 800 g, the drone itself must also be registered on AlphaTango and carry a French electronic signalling device. In built-up areas, flying over public space is prohibited in the open category, and night flights are only allowed with an exemption from the prefecture.
Further rules
- If you live in France, you must complete your operator registration via the AlphaTango portal with the aviation authority DGAC – mandatory from a take-off mass of 250 grams or for any drone with a sensor that can capture personal data.
- 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 France. Only if you live outside the EASA area do you register in the EASA state where you first fly.
- The aviation authority DGAC does not state a general liability insurance requirement for recreational flights in the open category; check in advance whether your private liability insurance also covers drone damage in France.
- Night flights are generally prohibited in the open category, unless you have applied in advance for an exemption from the prefecture (at least 30 days' notice). For flight planning, Géoportail provides the official French geographical zones map.
- In built-up areas (agglomérations), flying a drone over public space is prohibited in the open category. From 800 grams, the drone itself – separately from your operator registration – must also be registered on AlphaTango and carry a French electronic signalling device; this is not the same as EU remote identification.
- In the open category, the maximum flight altitude is 120 metres above ground level, as throughout the EU.
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.